PHOTO: Tumbling Falls

"Tumbling Falls." HDR Photo. July 2014

The start of the hike to Glacier Lake has some amazing waterfalls. The water has carved out a course that is exhilarating to behold. All the greens crowding around the white of the water creates a picture that I love to look at again and again.

Review: Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero

Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero by Michael Hingson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



With this book, I was expecting more of a survival story and less about being blind. With that said, though, I found it to be a fascinating account of how the author survived September 11 in the first tower. And it was interesting to learn more about blindness and the difficulties that blind people face, particularly in how other people perceive them. While reading, I found myself reflecting on my experience on September 11 and what I was doing that morning. I liked how the author's faith in God and trust in his guide dog intertwined together. An interesting read; I just wish it had a bit more about Sept. 11.



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PHOTO: Dusk at Lake McDonald

"Dusk at Lake McDonald." HDR photo. July 2014

As we headed back to camp late one night, we stopped at Lake McDonald for "one last look." We had just missed (by minutes!) a fabulous sunset. It's difficult to take a shot when rushing down the road and the trees are in the way. I did get this shot though, and the more I look at it, the more I like it. As my friends and I stood on the dock, I truly felt blessed. Friends, feeling loved, and a beautiful scene—what more could you want from life?

Review: Peace Like a River

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I'd give this a 3.5 rating. I liked it but found the plot to be lacking. I really liked the figurative phrases the author used, and I felt the narrator had a strong voice. But it was a slow, meandering story, and the last fifteen pages contained a twist that really surprised me. It made the book worthwhile to read, those last few pages.



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PHOTO: Day at Lake Louise

"Day at Lake Lousie." HDR photo. July 2014

Two of my friends and I headed into Canada to Banff National Park. When we got to Lake Louise, I was in love. No wonder so many people come up to visit. Its beauty is truly breathtaking.

PHOTO: Glacier Forest

"Glacier Forest." HDR photo. July 2014.

The hike to Glacier Lake was beautiful. Every few steps my friends and I would marvel at the beauty that surrounded us. The contrast of vibrant color of moss to the rocks and pine needles covering the ground was amazing. If I could live in this forest, I would glory in its beauty every day.

PHOTO: Sunset at Park

"Sunset at Park." HDR Photo. August 2014

I came home from the road trip exhausted, happy, and thrilled to experiment with the photos. I knew that I had little time left with the camera due to two reasons: I was returning it to my friend the next day, and the battery was running out. Fortunately, nature smiled upon me with a gorgeous sunset, so I ran outside with the camera and began shooting. I captured this shot at Bicentennial Park in Provo. It's still one of my favorites.

PHOTO: The Mountain Goat

"The Mountain Goat." HDR photography. Glacier National Park. July 2014.

When we stumbled across this mountain goat, I hoped that he would stay still long enough for my shots. He complied. Good mountain goat . . . pretty mountain goaty-goat . . . stay . . .

PHOTO: On the way to Glacier

"Clouds of Glory." HDR photo. Montana. July 2014.

On our way to Glacier National Park, we pulled over for a quick break. It had been raining, but had let up a little. This was one of my first shots with the camera that I thought would turn out well.

PHOTO: Glacier Lake

"Clouds over Glacier Lake." HDR photo. Glacier National Park. July 2014.

It took over an hour to hike to this lake, but it was well worth it. The trail itself was beautiful, and my friends and I took our time admiring the beautiful forest. But once we got to the lake, we all went different directions to admire it. It was pretty wet because of some recent rain, but that just made some interesting shots.

PHOTO: Red Boats on Lake McDonald

"Red Boats." HDR photo. Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park. July 2014.

My friends and I stayed near Lake McDonald on our trip to Glacier National Park. At one area, there was this beautiful dock with some red boats. I snapped a few photos while the others decided what we should do. I wish we could have ridden in one these boats, but the group decided to go out on the lake with canoes. I hate canoes. I'm just glad I didn't drop the camera into the lake.

Review: Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



“If every person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary—the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God.”
― R.J. Palacio, Wonder

I loved this book! I know this book is for middle grade readers and that if I had actually read it instead of listened to the audiobook, I could have finished it in an afternoon, but it's one of the best books I've read that shows the importance of kindness. The characters seemed real to me, and the plot wasn't complicated, and I think that's the beauty of this book. In its simplicity it shows the vulnerability that we all experience at some point in our lives. It touches on topics such as death, acceptance, sacrifice, loyalty, and love. I highly recommend it.




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Review: The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A fun read! It reminded me of my fourth or fifth grade class where we studied the Greek and Roman gods. Going to read the second book.



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PHOTO: Ink Pots at Banff

"Stormy Day at Ink Pots"—HDR photo, Banff National Park, 2014

It took my friends and I a couple of hours to hike to the Ink Pots in Banff National Park. But they were well worth the trouble. The ink pots are seven mineral springs bubbling to the surface in an open meadow. What makes them fascinating is the color of the water, slightly green to turquoise. This HDR photo shows the unique color quite well. I love how this photo turned out.

Review: The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago

The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago by Carol Fisher Saller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



An excellent little book about copy editors and how to do a good job without getting all stressed (although with all the deadlines, that's bound to be happen too). I especially enjoyed the examples the author gives about authors, coworkers, and difficult manuscripts and how she navigated and solved different problems that arose in her relationships with them. I totally related with her, having encountered most of the scenarios she presented. It's a good reminder of how to find balance in a job where you're dealing with so many aspects to get the best book possible.



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Review: Dad Is Fat

Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I believe that the only way to truly experience this book is by listening to it because Jim Gaffigan actually reads it. I loved so much listening to the audiobook. It is fantastic! Jim is a funny guy and his experiences with his wife and kids are hilarious, but you can tell that he really does love his family, and being a dad. Definitely recommend it.



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Review: I Will Teach You To Be Rich

I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Practical, funny, straight forward finance book for the young adult. I've already starting using his suggestions and feel better about how I'm handling my finances. It's great to know that I can be in charge of my money and know exactly where it's going.



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Review: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This book wriggled its way into my top three nonfiction books. It's a captivating story that's hard to put down.
I kept saying to myself, "How can one man have a life like this?" Louie Zamperini had so many awe-inspiring moments.

It's also well written and documented. Laura Hillenbrand has done an excellent job of making Louis Zamperini come alive. Although there were a few moments where she seems to do more storytelling rather than straight facts, Laura has clearly done her research and I trust that she has captured the essence of this incredible experience. I would definitely reread this book!



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A New Hobby

Guys, I found a new hobby! It's high dynamic range (HDR) photography. My friend and neighbor introduced me to this type of photography and I fell in love with it almost instantly. Check out his photos at deepbluecave.com, and you'll see what I mean. Also google "HDR photography" with any awesome place in the world and prepare to be amazed.

I created the above photo! I did that! Can you tell that I'm quite pleased with myself? It's a picture taken in Glacier National Park. Of course, with such beautiful scenery, you really can't take a bad photo. I'm just impressed how good this one turned out.

 I'm still learning all the ins and outs of it, but HDR photography is fairly simple. You just need to take three pictures of the same scene or object at different exposures. Then you merge those three photos together using some software (like Photomatix), touch it up a bit in Lightroom, and, voilà, magical, beautiful photo. 

Sigh. I love it. So content right now.  

On Turning 32: a stream of consciousness post in 2nd person

It's like waking up one morning and everything looks the same, but doesn't feel the same as it did the way before. You feel different. You act different. You make different decisions, but you're not quite sure why. But you're the same as the day before. You think it's just a number. You bite back the sarcasm that comes to mind.

You have experience now; you use your experiences to determine what you want to do. You feel young. You feel old. You want to see everything and spend everything. You want to stay home and save your money.

People look surprised when you tell them your age. "You don't look that old."  You shrug your shoulders.

You seem wise at times. Other times you seem foolish. You still feel a flood of emotions whenever that person you really like enters the room. You wish you didn't. And then you wish that you could always feel that way.

Sometimes you make reference to something and people give you a blank look and you realize that they weren't born in the same decade as you and have no idea what you're talking about.

You still get excited about things you love. You still mourn for things that didn't happen. You still fear rejection. You still yearn for acceptance. You understand yourself better. You don't understand anything better than you did last year. You hope for the best. You work hard. You play hard. You take some time to rest. Your friends support you.

Anxiety sneaks up. Depression does too. You wish they could both go away. You work through it with the help of good friends. You learn you can change and be happy. You learn. You grow. You feel joy. You struggle. You cry. You cry some more. You laugh. You laugh some more. You go to bed.

Thirty-two is the beginning of another year, another step forward, another adventure. It will probably bring some sadness, trials, and frustration. It's just another year of being alive. And being alive is fantastic. You're just you.

[My birthday was in February. I'm a little tardy in getting this up.]

Olympics, Goodreads ratings

I've been watching the Olympics every day since it started. My roommates, friends, and I will settle onto the couch and be swept away by the triumph, loss, and drama of the Olympics as nations go for the gold. It's been glorious. And I'm fortunate enough to cheer for both the United States and Canada.

The topic of rating and scales came up tonight as we watched the Olympics, and it got me thinking about how I rate books on Goodreads.  I find that I'm pretty liberal, probably much more generous than some of my friends. In some ways, I view books much as I do my friends. Sure, I may get annoyed with some of their quirks, but overall I still love them because they're my friends and have enriched my life. So here's my breakdown:

No star—either I'm too lazy to rate the book or I hated it enough to give it nothing. Most of the time it's because I'm lazy.
1 star—I did not like this book. In fact, I probably detested this book. Not worth reading.
2 stars—It's not my favorite but it had some merit. Perhaps it made a couple of good points or had a interesting story. But it's probably riddled with poor writing, grammar, punctuation, or terrible characters. Whatever the case may be, it means I did not enjoy it.
3 stars—It's okay. Writing is okay. Plot is okay. Nothing too spectacular but nothing too terrible either. So average. C-grade.
4 stars—I like it. I may even like it a lot. I enjoyed reading it.
5 stars—I loved it. I loved it a lot. I'll reread this book in a heartbeat. It moved me. It inspired me. It helped me to see the world in a different perspective. I want to share it with my friends. It moved me. Sometimes it's more about the feelings the book evoked rather than the quality of writing.

As I said, I'm generous. Because I'm interested in a lot of topics, I find myself swept away in non-fiction and fiction alike. And if the book made me happy, I'll give it five stars.

Some books—books that I edit or proofread for work—don't follow these rules. Found under my "Cedar Fort" label, these books help provide my income and I'm super generous with my ratings. I want them all to be successful. Sometimes I write reviews on the books that I absolutely loved. And sometimes I don't. It just depends on how much time I have. If you're ever interested in what projects I've worked on, this is a good spot to check them out. Cedar Fort Publishing and Media has so many good books!

With that said, I'm headed back to the Olympics. Go Team USA! And Canada! :)

The Year of Reading--The Brothers Karamazov

The Year of Reading—I tried really hard to come up with a better name, but my creativity sputtered on this one—has been coming along just fine . . . if fine means I'm still reading the same book that I was reading a month ago. Let's face it—The Brothers Karamazov is a dense book. I'm halfway through and the murder that's promised in the second sentence in the cover blurb has yet to happen. In other words, NO ONE HAS BEEN MURDERED YET, AND I'M ON PAGE 338!

Oh, the book has talked about everything under the Russian moon, from religion and politics to servants and masters. And *spoilers* the priest is dead but there was a whole section about his life that I thought would never end . . .

Sigh. I feel like I'm close to the actual murder so I keep pushing through. If it weren't for that carrot, I would have quit reading this book weeks ago.

The next book I'm going to read is going to be shorter, written by a non-Russian, and more entertaining.

 I hope.

Oh, I really, really hope.

Just keep reading! Just keep reading!

Side note: Whenever I look at the cover, the drawing of the man floating in the background reminds me of an angry David Tennant. What do you think?

"The Year Is Dying in the Night"--Life Lessons Learned in 2013

Another year is almost gone, and I'm once again wondering how to slow time down. This year went by so fast! Yet, at times, it felt like it was never going to end. And I'm beginning to sound a whole lot older than what I really am. Without further ado, here are some lessons I learned in 2013!

LESSONS LEARNED IN 2013

(in no particular order)

1. God is aware of me and personally cares for me.  I think this is a lesson I learn every year, but it was particularly evident in 2013. From answering my prayers to putting people in my life at the right time, God was a huge part of my life. Even when I felt unnoticed, unwanted, and perhaps even unneeded, he made sure that I knew he did not feel that way about me. Those moments when I felt God's love and acceptance helped me through some tough times. 
2. Sometimes you meet your deadlines and others time you won't. Don't beat yourself up when you don't. I found that by evaluating what I could and could not control in situations was the best antidote for feeling like a failure. And by pressing forward, doing the best I could, and making up for any fault on my part often led to positive results.
3. God has a sense of humor . . . or impeccable timing. Or both. Just when I decided to transfer to the family ward, I get a stake calling that allows me to stay in my singles ward. I still laugh about this sometimes. Okay, a lot.
4. Exercise works. One reason I stopped blogging was because I joined a gym and then signed up for Group Training with a personal trainer. Three times a week for an hour. Three hours of a lot of sweat. Best decision ever. Second best decision was to involve my doctor. Through my efforts and regular checkups with the doc, I've lost 35 pounds this year, most of them in the last six months. I'm feeling great.
5. The last two miles of a half-marathon suck. But the feeling of crossing the finish line is exhilarating. Which means I'll be doing another half-marathon in 2014. I hope to be a few more pounds lighter and have a faster time. 
6. Turn to others for help, especially the Savior. Why wait until I'm absolutely miserable before asking for help? Well, that's the way I've done it in the past, but I can't say it's been the most effective. I learned that it was better to turn to others for help rather than waiting. And the biggest source of help was the Savior. Relying on him more has been life changing. 
7. Choosing kindness is a better way to live. Perhaps this is an ongoing lesson, but it's a good one. Being kind to others, even when it's inconvenient or frustrating or when I don't really feel like it, is a better way to live, one that I think the Savior did. Trying to see the other person's perspective helped me to choose kindness, and I feel it's helped me to connect with others. I'm not perfect, of course, and I've had my share of being impatient and hassled. But choosing kindness doesn't take much and it's made me feel happy.
8. Use a little less sarcasm and a little more sincerity. Sarcasm can be funny, but it can also be hurtful. Sincerity goes a long way to building a relationship.
9. Take time to study topics you're interested in. I discovered Audible and some of the books I've listened to are topics I'm interested in. And that leads to reading stuff online and checking out books at the library. I love learning and when I have a chance to study favorite topics or learn new things, I get so excited. And it makes me happy. And I feel educated. 
10. Take a chance and do something you've never done. You'll be surprised by what you learn and can do. Some things I've done this year that are firsts: run a 10k, run a half-marathon, watch Doctor Who (and now I'm a huge fan!), go on a road trip to Nevada, go to an Imagine Dragons concert, and got an Audible subscription. I've had a pretty good year.
11. When you get depressed, it's best to find someone with empathy. I've also had a year of up-and-down emotions, and I was depressed  a few times. It's those moments that I could use lesson #6. And the best people to turn to were those who are empathetic. My dear friends who helped me when I was low, thank you for your support.

Evaluation of 2013 Goals:

1. Finish editing my novel and get it published. Can we say crash and burn? I made a few feeble attempts—they were really feeble. My novel will have to wait, I suppose. The biggest blockade? Time. Most of my time was focused on health, calling, and family and friends. 

2. Have a 30-minute scripture study session weekly. Did really well at this until August. Yeah, August was a crazy month. It's been spotty since then.

3. Lose 15 pounds in 4 months. Success!!! 

Bonus goal: complete a half-marathon. Check. :)

2014 Goals:

1. The Year of Reading: this year I'm not buying any more books until I finish reading the books I've already bought and haven't read yet. The idea is not to ban book-buying but to encourage reading more. I'm excited about this one. 

2. Hike Mount Timpanogos. I haven't felt physically able to do this, but by August 2014 I plan to be in good enough shape to do it. And when I stand on the top, I am going to be so happy.

3. Find an ancestor's name and do the temple work for her. I've been wanting to do this for a while. Might as well do it this year.