Old Post, New Post

The following is a post I started about a month and a half ago, but never posted. I expanded it, so it's a little bit of an amalgamation of my thoughts then and now. Sorry if it's a little weird.

Forget Fast Food Nation! We're becoming a Vending Machine Food World!!! I have mixed feelings about this story I found on MSN: http://www.delish.com/food-fun/unusual-vending-machine-foods?gt1=47001. I get a few items of vending machine food a week myself, so I think that having a variety is nice, especially because the vending machine food can get old real quick. I am also impressed with the ability of the machines to make it fresh and personalized right in front of you. I think the coolest ones might be: the pizza and the ice maker, where you can be a part of the process from the beginning.

Beyond the coolness of the technology, this trend is making me worried. The quality of vending machine food seems to be going up, where you don't have to worry about the massive amount of preservatives in the food, but still. How hard is it to go up and order these foods from a REAL person? Or to drive it home, how hard is it to make these things at HOME? I think that cooking is becoming a lost art among the people of the world. So many people have such low expectations of what food is or should be, when I feel like food has so many diverse flavors and textures that need to be realized and experienced! Food is a little like language in the fact that there are endless possibilities in what you can do with it, granted some things aren't right to put together, but, that's what experimenting is for, right? Try to make some food so you're not limited in your choices.

Okay. I'll get off my soap box now.

Killer Queen

My cat, Bella, is a killer. No really, I know you're laughing at me right now, but she really is. As I drive up my driveway, I'm always apprehensive that I'll find her on the grass with her latest kill, half-eaten. She is no respecter of prey. Squirrels, potguts, snakes, mice, etc. It's made me worried enough that I'm afraid to bring friends up.

Setting: Lutz Home, Hobble Creek Canyon

Sarah enters driveway in a car with a group of friends. They make their way to the house.

Friend #1: It was so nice for you to invite us, Sarah!

Friend #2: Yes, it's so beautiful up....Oh my gosh! (shrieks)

Friend #1: What is it! I don't see anyth.....What in the world? Is that blood? I don't do well with blood...sometimes it makes me sick (faints)

Sarah: (cheerily) Oh, come on guys. It's just a half-eaten squirrel. It's real life nature, and shows the food chain in action!

Now back to reality.
NO! That is just gross. I don't want anyone to see that. She looks so unsuspecting.

(Note: This isn't her, {she isn't as fat as this cat} but she looks like this)

I'll do my best to protect you, my friends, but if you come up to my house, she might be doing her thing.

Just a warning.

"She's a Killer Queen
Gunpowder, Gelatine
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow your mind
Anytime"

Thank you Queen, for making a song just for my blog title.

One-Date Wendy and The Year of the Set-Up

If my life were a book, this would have to be the title for the last two months of my summer (May-June). Now honestly, I know that everyone is in the spirit of relationships in the spring and summer, but I feel little like the spirit of relationships doomed. Or probably more accurately, the spirit of set-ups/blind dates doomed.

As soon as Spring semester started, it felt like I was a on a pedestal with a ringmaster shouting, "Friends, coworkers, and bosses of all ages! Step right up and try your chances at setting up this girl with a guy you know!" I was being approached by several people who were all excited to give their all. One of them didn't pan out, because the guy in question became engaged before he would ever go out with me, but c'est la vie. Right? Here is a synopsis of the two dates I have been on.

Date #1

My very good friend from my singles ward wants to set me up with a guy she works with. I agreed, but I was a little apprehensive about the whole thing, owing to the fact that the last blind date I went on was definitely a no go. So even though I had known about this shindig going down since early April, being mentally prepared for a while, I decided, "Hey, what the heck...let's do this."

I pick up my date, and am pleasantly surprised at his attractiveness. The night is pretty fun, and I have a good time. The only downfall I might have found, is that he's younger than me, but only by a year. Not really a big deal. He and I have similarities and had fun creating a Buddha sculpture out of a half gallon of melty Tin Roof Sundae ice cream. I take him home, but I don't know exactly what to do, so I give him a car hug, which is totally LAME.

He adds me as a friend on Facebook, and a couple back and forth messages later, we never talk to each other again. Still see him post stuff on Facebook, would like to comment, but feel stupid because I haven't talked to him in months.

Date #2

A lady I work with cornered me in the work room with a question, "Are you dating anyone?" I answered negatively. She goes on to tell me of her younger brother that she thinks has a lot in common with me, and how she just would really like to set us up on a date. "Sure," I said, with a nonchalance that totally contradicted the pathetically worry-wart scenarios bouncing around in my head.

Well, he calls me while I'm up the canyon, and so I have to call him back (which I am NOT a phone person, and I hate calling people I don't know, and sometimes even people I do know), and of course, I get his voice mail...So finally, he calls me at home, and we set up the date. He wants to pick me up, and I really tried to discourage him to just to meet me somewhere. Now, he lives in Holladay (Salt Lake area), and I live a half hour from Provo, so all in all it's about an hour and a half drive. I make sure to give him directions up to my house, after asking him if he knew the area. He said he did, so I just sweat it out until the day of.

The meeting time comes and goes, and I get a phone call from him. He's gone up Spanish Fork Canyon, not Hobble Creek Canyon! He's almost made his way back to Springville, and I tell him that it's another 20 minutes to get to my house. I could tell he was a little shocked, but he came up anyway (it took him 30 minutes, which for people who don't live there, is about right). He's now an hour late. I didn't really care, he was the one with the tighter schedule for the day, but I was sorry that he got lost, even if it was his fault.

We talk in the car, and it was really good, even better than the last date, I think. He drives all of the way to north Orem, where we go out to eat. We're maybe there for 45 minutes (tops!), and then he drives me home. We are animated talking some more on the way home, but I ran a 5k that morning, so maybe I was more tired and unresponsive than I remember. I really don't know. He told me he had "a delightful time" and I gave him a hug and then I went inside.

In the aftermath, everyone was asking me if I texted him and thanked him or whatnot, and I am so out of the dating loop, I couldn't tell you what the right way to let a guy know I had a good time, or wanted to go out again (which I did).

I end up sending him a text asking for his Key Lime Pie recipe (he likes cooking), and he sends it to me via email. In response, I thank and ask him to come make it with me. No answer. No dice. Nada.

Okay......

I want you to know that I have not minded these dates. I was attracted to both of the guys, and I thought they were great. I wouldn't mind going on more dates with either one of them.

Sometimes I wonder if I have too positive of outlooks after dates, when I should be more analytical of what happened. I think, "That date was great! We had a lot in common, we talked a lot, laughed, had a good time...", but then in the end, it's a dead end.

I don't understand. If I feel a connection, doesn't that mean that there's gotta be another side to the connection (particularly coming from him)? Or does it mean that I'm kind of a charismatic leech oblivious to the guys furiously trying to shake me off?

There is another possible date in the works, set up by my boss. But it's very, very tentative. She doesn't know how to get a hold of him. Yeah, slight problem there. Oh well. If it never comes to fruition, then I just have to deal with it.

So now, instead of being the girl that everyone wants to set up, I feel like I deserve the title of "One-Date Wendy" instead.

Even so. If you feel like setting me up, I only have 2 words for you.

Bring it.

Times and Seasons

Biting into the fruit,
Deep red juices staining our lips,
We eat one after another.
"Don't you think that strawberries just taste like sunshine?"
My mother asks me.
Smiling, not quite understanding,
I nod, grin ready on my face.

Another time and another season.

A long summer's day is coming to its close.
We sit out on our covered porch.
The sky is filled with dusty orange, rose, and plum,
A lovely yet unearthly mixture.
"Isn't nature amazing?" she asks.
I feel a sense of rightness to the moment,
A small stirring enters my soul.
I answer yes.

Another time and another season.

Leaves of red and orange flame are starkly set
Against the periwinkle sky.
The crisp air gives us a small taste
Of the impending frost.
"Being outside is invigorating to the soul, wouldn't you say?"
She asks me out in the yard.
I take in the contrasting intense beauty,
My being is touched, moved.
I bask in the moment.

Another time and another season.

The snow is falling, huge flakes
The size of a fist.
They float like feathers
Falling in communal silence,
Each with their own pattern and sparkling delight.
"Do you feel God in nature?"
My mother asks me.
The beauty of winter is captivating,
Delight reaches from my head to my toes.
I understand.

Strawberries as sunshine,
Warm blends of sunset color,
Brilliant contrasts of leaves and sky,
Quiet snowflakes falling.

She doesn't feel God in nature.
She knows God in nature.
And now, so do I.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 -- To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

Flipped!

I read the book Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen recently (okay, not that recent, like the beginning of April), and I absolutely loved it. For those of you who haven't read it, it's a dual voiced book telling the story of Bryce Loski and Juli Baker from both of their perspectives ('one chapter him, one chapter her' type of thing, but they are using the same time frame). It's set mainly in junior high, but it has some build up from when they are younger. Because it's supposedly a 'teen romance' novel, I shied away from it for a while.

The premise is that Juli from her youngest years is crazy about Bryce, and he thinks she's nothing less than a pest. But there are some events that happen which change their feelings for each other to the complete opposite of what they were before, hence the whole "flipped" thing.

Yes, there is a romance element to the story, but I felt a few deeper messages pervading the novel. You shouldn't judge others on what you believe to be true (whether it is or not). Another I found was similar to the theme of Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, that although not usually popular, you can learn to love life best from a genuine and unique person.

I found it more of a coming of age story than a teen romance, but it was very good nonetheless (and probably because it wasn't what it seemed).

Now.
I didn't really write this because of my love of childrens literature, but because I realized how "flipped" my own observations and outlook on life have become.

So...the boy at work who I thought it might be good to take on a date and get to know better?
He has a girlfriend. And might have when I asked him on a date. Or was about to. I don't know, it doesn't make sense to me because I would think that he might not have said 'yes' if he been dating his girlfriend. But he's supposedly has been dating her since February.

My life is like Juli Baker's. Totally skewed on what reality was. After I mulled over it for a couple of days, I realized some things like: why he wouldn't really talk to me after our date, why it was so hard to bring up conversation for a long time...ugh. Yeah.

And then I realized that it wasn't going anywhere, but then he started asking me for rides all of the time. And we had good conversation. Like he enjoyed being around me. Dang. So I'm flipped (and maybe he is a little as well, but not as much as Bryce Loski).

(This was probably supposed to have been written about a month ago, but shhhh, don't tell. I'll catch you up on the other amazing :S aspects of my life soon)

Spring Break?

My title is what it is because of the incredulity of Utah weather. Monday through Wednesday was like a weird twlight zone episode where the seasons are mixed up. This is what it looked like on the outside of my house.

Our deck in facing the back yard.

The past week has also been amazing because of a multitude of things, but here's a few of them.

1. Conference. I always love listening to the prophet and apostles speak, but I feel like I really tried to listen and hearken to the words given at this conference. My favorite talk was probably Elder Scott's talk, but Elder Holland's came close. They are all so filled with goodness and tender feelings for their followers, and I feel that from them and in return love them greatly. The reoccuring theme of teaching your children truth in the home was staggering, but it made me set goals and expectations for myself when I begin a family. It was powerful, and I know that the family needs to be strengthened at this time where the family unit is barraged from every angle. I know we can do it.

2. Cousins came to visit. My cousins Becca and Chrissy (and Chrissy's husband, Kyle) came to our house for dinner and the last session of Conference. I love being with family (immediate or extended), and it was so much fun to have a few more Lutzes around. We don't get to see the Lutz side of the family much, so it was a really awesome thing.

   This is a cute picture of the us fixing dinner (and by us, I really mean them, because I had not makeup on = yuck pic of me)

3. Awesome indoor Easter egg hunt. My family had an indoor easter egg hunt on Monday (due to the crappy weather we had that weekend), and it was awesome! Here are our hard boiled dyed eggs. Needless to say, we like bright colors!!!

The poorly circled ones are mine. Yay for Paint!

Here's a close-up on my eggs. I really like the way they turned out. They're so vibrant! But I did end up putting them all in for a session of conference (nothing like a 2 hour dye!).

This is a close-up of my favorite.

Second favorite: This got cooler because it cracked.

Third Favorite or Last Favorite. You choose which it is.

4. I got my hair cut! I went in originally to cut 6 inches off, but I got convinced (which really wasn't all that hard) to get another 2 inches cut off and donate it to Locks of Love. I've donated before, and I really enjoyed being able to do it, so it was a good they gave me that option. I'd do it again in a heartbeat (when my hair's a little longer of course). I also got the bottom of the hair undercut so it will do some curling under all by itself, and some nice front layers to add some texture to the hair and soften the angles of my face. All in all it was a pretty dang good haircut. I did have a little patching up to do a couple of days later (you'll see in the pic) when my hair finally lay down some, but I did it myself, and I think everything's even now.

On the right side (in this pic, the left), the front pieces of hair were just a tad longer than all of the others.

That was nothing that a mirror and a pair of hair trimming scissors couldn't handle.

See? It's really cute, and short! Well, shorter than it has been in a long time. I like it.

Well, this blog post has taken practically all week to make, because our internet's so slow, so I'd better post it before it all blows up. :)

Turning Over a New Leaf

Even though a storm just came through, I can't help but think that Spring is just around the corner. I can feel it in the air and I know that we have been seeing this:

but it will soon become this:

I'm surrounded by beauty where ever I look, and I have been so blessed with friends and family that help me along.

A good friend of mine talked to me earlier this week, and helped me realized that I need to stop worrying about the things I can't control and focus on things that will help me get to work and serve others. She told me that I should take care of myself, but then I should, like President Hinckley always said, "Forget [my]self and then go to work."

So I realized that I'd been getting out of the habit of reading my scriptures and saying my prayers regularly, and I needed to do those. On my date last Friday, I was kind of talking about how I'd love to be able to sing in a challenging group again, how I missed that part of my life, and he told me that if I asked, I would be able to receive. I was very grateful that he told me that. I made me realize that I need to be more spiritually minded, which is something I've kind of put on the back burner for a while.

I had a heart to heart with my Heavenly Father, who gave me his endless love and forgiveness, and also helped me see the things I need to put my life in order. I made some goals, and I think that they will help me become the person that I know I want to be.

1. Read the scriptures and study them out. They won't do me a lot of good if I don't apply them in my life. I want to receive revelation and inspiration in my life.

2. Have meaningful prayers both in the morning and right before I go to bed. I have so much to be grateful for, and so much to be guided in. And I know who I can tell both to.

3. Have an exercise regime that I will stick to. One of the most happy and successful time of my life happened when I exercised regularly. I feel better, I look better, and I am a generally happier person.

4. Work on developing my Christlike attributes. Preach My Gospel is amazing because in chapter 8, there is a list of attributes and a plan to become those attributes.

5. Be helpful in every opportunity. Service is one way to lose yourself, and forget all of the silly things that frustrate us. It's so hard to see out of myself, that I know that I really need to work on this goal.

6. Take my callings seriously. I have been doing them, but it's been with a reluctance. I feel like I could be doing so much more than I have, and if I could lose myself in the work, I can show Heavenly Father's love to those I serve.

7. Keep doing things/Make things happen. Lately, a lot of my life has been waiting for something to happen to me. I want to make things happen. I'm tired of sitting on my hind end watching the world go on without me.

I think that these things will get me to where I need to be. And I've been doing pretty good. Not perfect mind you, but I'm getting there. :)

P.S. I ran 1.5 miles on Wednesday and almost 3 today. If I keep going like this, I'm going to rock in the Live wElle 5K this year. I want to run it in sub 28 minutes.