A Long Time Coming

Dearest readers (mainly Valerie),

I would like to apologize for my absence. As I have been so discreetly reminded, it has been over 3 months since my last post. Due to lack of motivation, excitement, and knowledge of a faithful reader, ect... I have failed to update this blog. If you will refer to the comments on the previous post you will see that my fans are few, but persistent. So now with a repentant attitude, and renewed motivation, I will promise to post at least once a month. Now this is quite the promise for me to be making so don't push it by asking for more. Please, my precious time is limited.

In this post and the following posts I will try and update you on any crumb of excitement that has been happening in my life. Now I'm not saying that my life isn't exciting. It is a daily enjoyment, but I just don't think that I would be able to convey any of it in an interesting way through a blog. I , however, will attempt every once in a while.

Now with that said you can pester me if I am slacking in the least with my monthly posts.

Yours truly,
Lisa Owens

Family stuff

At the beginning of June Rachel and Craig were married. It was a gorgeous wedding, and I've been waiting to get some pictures from people. So hopefully soon I will be able to get those and post them. I am getting some of our rockin family vacation. I do, however, have this one pic from outside the Bountiful temple at Rachel's wedding.

These are the Schmutz women (I guess Val and I are Owens, but still... and we're missing Cierra). I love this pic. Most of my favorite women. It was good to see grandma at the wedding, and the reunion.

It's the History Fair!

A few weeks ago I took Kyle and Valerie to Washington D.C. for Kyle's History Fair project. He did a play with some friends on the Sandwalkers, and got to go to nationals. I guess that means he's pretty cool. My parents couldn't take him so they asked if I would be kind enough to take some time out off to take them. Of course I could get some time off! So here are a few pics from our trip.

This is Kyle and I in front of George Washington's old tomb. They've built and new, nicer, bigger tomb since, and that is where the wreath laying was.

The first day we went to Mt. Vernon which was pretty amazing. I can't imagine living on an estate that big. We arrived at George Washington's tomb just in time for the wreath laying ceremony. Valerie got to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Kyle got to help lay the wreath on his tomb. Now they are officially in the Mt. Vernon national archives which I thought was pretty cool, how many people can say they've done that?

The next day we went to the National cathedral which was gorgeous. I'd never been in a cathedral before, and I loved it. I wish we would have spent a little longer there, but we wanted to try and make it to the zoo. The zoo really wasn't anything spectacular. Most of the animals were already inside, it looks like we picked a bad time to go.

On Monday Kyle gave his performance, and they did pretty well, but didn't win anything. After that we went to the Spy Museum. That was quite the exhibit. I think we spent about 3 hrs in there. It is a huge exhibit, and it was very interesting. I think that and the national cathedral were my favorites. We also spent a little while in the Art Smithsonian looking at the portrait photography section.
Overall It was an awesome vacation. I love D.C. there is so much to see there. Last year we went and stayed with my Dad's friend in West Virginia. It was so pretty out there, and I think I almost like driving around the countryside more than walking around the National Mall. I would love to move back east for maybe just a year to see what it's like. Maybe Kyle can win the History Fair again next year so we can go!

Indifference vs Action

Wow. I just finished reading a few essays by Elie Wiesel. I have admired his writing ever since reading Night as a sophomore in high school. He described the events of the Holocaust in such a beautiful, and haunting way, and he has fueled my morbid fascination with the Holocaust. My roommate introduced me to his essays on America, particularly The Perils of Indifference. I finally took the time to read it today, and I recommend giving it a look.

Right now I am reading another book by a Holocaust survivor, Livia Bitton-Jackson, called I Have Lived A Thousand Years. I am not very far in it, but so far her view on the events is interesting. She seems like a very dramatic, and passionate person, yet her description of some of the most emotional events is very detached. However, I'm not sure how you can accurately convey those types of feelings through writing.

There is a sad observation made by both Wiesel, and Bitton-Jackson. They both talk about the reactions, or lack of, from bystanders. It is amazing to me that many of those who saw what was going on did nothing. I can't say that I would have had the courage to do something, but it's just amazing how many people had to look the other way for it to go as far as it did. In The Perils of Indifference Wiesel talks about indifference, and how it can have more harmful effects than hate. He says

"Of course, indifference can be tempting -- more than that, seductive. It is so much easier to look away from victims. It is so much easier to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams, our hopes. It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person's pain and despair. Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbor are of no consequence. And, therefore, their lives are meaningless. Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. Indifference reduces the Other to an abstraction."

By not acknowledging another, we are basically denying the fact that they exist. It really is much easier to just do nothing, but Wiesel points out why that is more harmful.

"In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred....

Even hatred at times may elicit a response. You fight it. You denounce it. You disarm it. Indifference elicits no response. Indifference is not a response. Indifference is not a beginning; it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -- never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten...And in denying their humanity, we betray our own. "

I just think he writes very powerfully. This definitely gave me something to think about. I had never thought about how much harm can be done if we just don't care. Even in our everyday dealings with people it can be important. It makes me want to take more notice, and involvement in other people's lives.

Now that seems depressing, and I'm not sure it will help you any today, but I guess the purpose of a blog is to post what you've been thinking about.

Progress

Sometimes I feel like I'm not moving forward at all. I feel like I'm stuck in a rut, and sometimes that is true. However, some of the time all I have to do is think back at what I have been doing the past couple of weeks. Usually when I take time to do this I realize that I really am doing something with my life. I just don't always feel that way. Summer tends to be a time when I have to check every once in a while to make sure that I'm not slipping backwards.

I know this doesn't really have much to do with my progress in life, but I thought I would post my progress on the Daffodils pic. This is to show that I am, every once in a while, making progress in something. I have actually gone somewhere with this painting I've been working on for my sis. I'm not sure I will keep it, but at least I can say I've done something with it. So here are the pics, and just know that I still have a looong way to go on it.

The first pic is my first draft. It's um... well I scrapped it for a reason. The second draft I like better, and look I have moved forward in something! Oh and this is also to show Amy that I can figure out how to post pictures. Woohoo!

The beginnings of my blog, yipee...

So this is my first post. In fact this my first post on my first blog. I have decided to start a blog because of sheer boredom, not because I actually have anything important to say. My roommate suggested I start one because, well, I have a lot of free-time at work. I have also discovered that most of my family already have blogs so why not join the crowd. Who knows, this may be my only post; I could run out of things to say after this. In fact I think I've already run out of things to say right now.

Books I've read lately / been reading:
Just finished:
Angela's Ashes by Frank Mccourt - I wasn't as impressed with it as I was hoping to be. Very blunt writing, and a very sad childhood. Kind of a downer on men.
The Secret Life of Bee's by Sue Monk Kidd - Her first novel, and I really enjoyed it. I love the way she writes. It's kind a feminist book, about the power of women, but it's not necessarily a downer on men. I just found out that they are making it into a movie.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - My sister gave this book to me for my birthday. I recommend this book. Kind of a high-school / teen book, but I still thought it was a very good book.

Just started:
Chronicles of Narnia series - I'll let you know what I think.

I've been commissioned by my sister to paint a picture of my interpretation of William Wordsworth's poem, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud". Maybe I'll post some of my progress. Maybe. Right now I'm doing it in water color, but I would really like to do it in oil. However, I have 6 roommates, and oil can be quite strong so I'm not sure they would appreciate that. Maybe someday when I have more ventilation.