The Attic

One of the few remnants of torture chambers are attics above garages. Think of all the hazards: first, there's the rickety ladder you pull down from the ceiling that folds into itself. Once you get on it, you start to hear all these tell-tale snaps and cracks as you make your way up. 

Then there's the attic itself. No light, except the flashlight you bring with you, or the cracks through a vent in the wall. The attic doesn't technically have a floor (unless you've installed one), so you have to watch your step. Then there's the rusty nails protruding from the ceiling and the layers of dust accumulating on each boxed item. In the summer, it's unbearably hot, and in the winter it's...surprisingly temperate. Must be all that insulation. 

And all the boxes look the same, so you end up checking the same one three times in a row. I will say, I found some random relics. The most useful were the sleds, although I'm sure a doll crib could come in handy at some point. I found my sister's old stuffed animal collection, a bunch of binders from my jr. high and high school years, old VHS tapes that aren't labeled, etc.

My advice to all attic adventurers: be prepared to work muscles that you usually don't use. I found myself in an awkward half standing/ half on my stomach position trying to reach various items. Lunges might been a good warm up to reach things, if you don't think you can trust an uncharted shaky floor. 

Happy History Hunting!
Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Regrets and Resolutions

I regret giving away some of my favorite books back in 2010, when I was sure that I would never read them again after getting back from my mission. WRONG. I miss them. Thankfully I kept my three favorite series (Harry Potter, Chronicles and Narnia, O'Malley) and my sister salvaged several other books. 

But that wasn't all of them. The dumb thing was, I kept some textbooks. WHO DOES THAT? Apparently my parents. I was snooping up in the attic wondering if I could find any of my missing books and lo and behold I find textbooks from the '80s. 

Lesson learned. Save children's books, not textbooks. In light of this revelation, I decided to use Christmas to get my good library back (along with some new additions). So far I've replaced "That's Our Cleo!" and added books by Beverly Cleary and Emily Rhodda. I still have to find "the BFG" and "the Book of Enchantments" but I'm waiting to find a killer deal. Amazon is a good place to go, but usually the price of the book is in the shipping, and I might be so frugal that I want to spend less than $4 a book. We'll see. Deseret Industries has proven to have hidden classics if you're willing to look long enough.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Forgiveness

One of the best speakers we had at the Law School this semester was Darryl Burton. We were given a flyer that explained his situation: "in 1985, in St. louis, MO, Darryl Burton, age 22, was arrested and convicted of Capital Murder and Armed Criminal Action. Darryl spent 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. On August 29, 2008 Darryl was exonerated and released." 

What impressed me about Darryl is that his message was one of forgiveness. He talked about the years he spent angry for being wrongfully convicted and how through the Atonement and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, a man who was also wrongfully convicted, Darryl was able to forgive those who were responsible for sending him to prison. 

This lecture has stuck with me through the rest of the semester. Forgiveness isn't easy, but it isn't impossible. I'm grateful for those who set an example and testify of the peace they feel after they forgive. 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah