i love to hear...

my top ten most listened to albums of 2009 so far:
(no, this does not mean they came out in 2009).

This is Us - a collection of wonderful artists such as Aimee Mann, The Byrds, The Constantines, Mark Geary, etc. this album makes me think of family, friends, and home...which is it's exact purpose, well done.

Juno Soundtrack - so playful, so fun, hours of joy with this cd.

Kings of Leon: Only by the Night - enough said.

Feist: Open Season - i have a feeling one of her cds will always be in my most listened to list. this is a cd of remixes and collaborations. wonderful.

The Waiting Kind: In the Land of Hope - first full length! it will change your life, truly.

Cat Power: You Are Free - her breathy vocals melt my heart.

The Honey Trees: Wake the Earth - i've said it before, Becky Filip and i are meant to be best friends. her melodies are some of thee most lovely i have ever heard.

Pedro the Lion: Control - i miss them often, but am forever glad Dave Bazan is still making great music. this album tells a story...it has always intrigued me. i could study Dave's lyrics for probably years and never truly figure out what he means in some of his lyrics.

Brandi Carlile: The Story - one of the greatest lady performers i have ever seen. she writes brilliant music. and what a voice!

Kings of Convenience: Quiet is the New Loud - indie folk pop duo, delicate tunes, warm guitar melodies.

i could probably give a top 25 list, but we'll stick with 10 for now. cheers to good music!

imagination is the funniest.

my 6th grade drama class is preparing for a program. they will be performing an array of skits and improv. i am so excited! part of the night will be similar to "Who's Line is it Anyway?" today, we were working on improvisation - the lesson was titled, "Imagination is the Funniest." the objective was to imagine and create a vivid scene, with the emphasis on believability, that supposedly happened in the past. everyone did a pretty good job. Aaron was up last...his prompt was: i witnessed a murder. here is how he told us his imaginative story:

"oh hey guys. let me take you back to one of my most vivid memories.... a few years ago, i was walking home from school all by myself and i came across a light alley. you know how alleys are usually dark?...well this one was light, very light. and there were two guys in the alley...one had a lollipop, and the other had a...(long pause)...lollipop. and they were staring at each other and looked so mad.
then the first guy said, "don't you know tutti frutti is better than peach?"
the second guy answered, "no way! peach is the bessssssst."
then the first guy said, "oh dang!"
and the second guy said, "oh snap!"
and the first guy said, "don't DO IT!"
and the second guy said, "oh i will DO IT!"
and then, the second guy pulled out a knife and stabbed the first guy....(long pause)...right in the lollipop. and the knife went through the lollipop and hit the first guy's epidermis. and the first guy was like, "dude, not my epidermis."
and that was the day i learned that murder... can be funny."

newest addition to our very colorful home.

this will be waiting for me when i get home! i adore this mirror...courtesy of etsy.com, of course.

cheers to this beautiful dayyyy!

the story of a Walmart parking lot on a Wednesday night.

i wasn't going to blog about this, but i keep thinking about it and getting mad and then laughing (repeat).

i ran to Walmart last night to look for some kazoos...yes, kazoos. as i was walking to my car, about four feet away from me were three teenagers (two boys and a girl) walking to their car as well. the boys started to make comments at me and "hit" on me or whatever. of course i kept walking and didn't look at them but believe me, i hated every word they said. as we both got to our cars, which were right across from each other of course, the girl said, "nah, that's just some skinny a#& anorexic white girl." of course she said it in a booming loud voice, just in case i couldn't hear her from a few feet away. i still didn't look at her or the guys - why give her the pleasure of knowing i was so angry? the thing that bothered me the most about this is that these teenagers were black - and what she said to me was racist - especially the way it was said. now, i have replayed this story in my head ten or twenty times today and really, it makes me chuckle - but she was still way out of line. one time i was replaying the story in my head and i punched her in the face...we all know there is no way that would have happened - but it's a fun thought. ok, not a fun thought, but that is what i felt like doing! what i do know for sure is that it was God's grace that Derek was not walking with me - i feel like things would've turned out a bit different.

there's my story. i don't know why i told it. but i do know that i am thankful God gave me the grace to keep walking and quietly get in my car.

(oh, and thanks Jeff for helping me laugh it off :))