Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite stories. I own the book, and I love watching retellings of the story, such as:

I may have also seen the 1980 BBC version, but I can't remember. This week, I watched yet another adaptation known as "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" on Youtube. This series was published on a weekly basis from 2012-2013. There are 100 episodes (not including episodes with side characters) that are each 3-7 minutes long. So it ends up being the length of a BBC series, and a pretty thorough retelling of the story. 

Of all the retellings of Pride and Prejudice, this one made me see things in a clearer light. Because this is set in modern day, there were certain things Lizzie did that made me question how prejudiced I may inadvertently act. Her prejudice almost got overbearing at times, but luckily other characters helped me through those parts. I loved the adaptations they made for her to be more relatable and realistic. I also liked the theme of well-intentioned advice. From Darcy to Bingly, Lizzie to Lydia, or Darcy to Georgiana, although the advice was well-meaning, a lot of times it ended up hurting the recipient more than helping. (It could also be the way in which they gave their advice.) Anyway, the series left me with a lot to analyze about my own personal interactions. I would definitely recommend it. Rating disclaimer for my mother: There is language and innuendo, mostly referring to events off screen. 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

A Christmas Carol

Matt and I read "A Christmas Carol" for the first time over the holidays. There was so much detail in "A Christmas Carol" that never comes out in any of the movie renditions I've seen. I realize I shouldn't be too shocked by this, but I figured it was such a short book they would be able to fit in all of the details. Like how the ghosts were really good about using Scrooge's own words against him, or how awesome his nephew is, or how people would have robbed his grave in the future. Or that there's other quotes besides "God bless us every one!" For example: 

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”

“Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.” “Come, then,” returned the nephew gaily. “What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.”

“Darkness was cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”

This was fitting since we finished the book weeks after Christmas.

What a great lesson to teach to children!

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

2015 In Review

Like most years, 2015 has been a roller coaster of ups and downs.

We had a baby (yay)

but my right ovary was removed (boo).

I graduated law school (yay)

but failed the Bar and didn't get a job (boo).

However, I've been able to stay home with Dash (YAY)

and work on projects like writing and illustrating a children's book,
starting my own Etsy shop, and
creating a family history game (yay). 

While the first few "ups" of the year were planned, the "ups" at the end of the year only came because of unplanned "downs." How grateful I am for the gospel and the knowledge that while we face adversity, God is always with us.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Married Reading

I realized that I haven't posted about the books Matt and I have been reading as a couple for almost 10 months!!

After reading Tuesdays with Morrie, Matt and I moved on to reading "Daring Greatly" by Brene Brown. It took us months and months to finish! We listened to part of it on audio when we went to Rexburg in April and then we had to take a break until we got another copy from the library. However, it was a really good read. There is so much information in the book, it's hard to sum up, but here's a glimpse of what the book can teach you to do:

We also read "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson. It's a great sequel to "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and focuses on looking for the good in others, even when they seem to be the baddest people around.

As part of our Scripture Study this year, we read the "Infinite Atonement" by Tad R Callister. This took a long time, because sometimes we would only read a page a day. We had a lot of good discussions about the different theories it puts forth. I loved how he quoted scripture frequently to support his points. I could probably write a whole blog post on the book, but for now I'll just recommend that you read it.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Mansion Kids Update

I finally finished the sketches for my Mansion Kids book!! Here's a few of my favorites:

The Kids

The Villian

The Rope Swing Room

Responsibly calling the police

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Recent Reads # 2

I just finished the Ascendence Trilogy by Jennifer A Nielson.  While the castle was the draw for me in the Castle Glower series, the Sage/Jaron was what kept me reading this trilogy. Sage/Jaron is sassy (for lack of a better word) and smart, and keeps the reader on their toes as they try to figure out just what is going on in his mind and why he does the things he does. I also loved the dialogue in the books. I don't have a favorite in the series, as they all built so well upon each other.

Here's the teaser for the first book:
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Recent Reads

Now that I'm out of school, I have time to read for fun again!  I just finished the "Castle Glower" series by Jessica Day George.

Here's a quick synopsis of the first book: "Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to become a modern classic."

I liked all of the books, but the first in the series was by far my favorite. I loved learning more about the quirks and secrets of the castle, and cheering the children on as they defended it. (This is probably because of my love for magical settings like the Mansion Kids.)

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Mansion Kids

I'm writing a book!! Finally! 

So this is based off of stories I used to tell my brother and sister when we were kids. I've included the text of the book below for your enjoyment (just typed, not in book form yet). I'm working on illustrations right now, and since I'm not the best artist, it will probably take me a month to finish. 

Rebekah, Robby, and Angela lived in a mansion on the top of a mountain. Instead of their own rooms, each had their own floor. Rebekah had a room to play with her cat, Angela had a room to play with her dog, and Robby had a room to play his trombone. The mansion also had a firepole, a robot cook, and a roller coaster down the mountain. Besides that, the mountain was hollowed out and there were even more rooms inside. There was a ball pit room, a rope course room, and an antigravity room. Because the mansion was so wonderful, the kids had to be careful not to let strangers inside because they might try to steal things. One night, the mansion kid’s parents were out on a date and the doorbell rang. On the porch was a man with an egg shaped head. “Hi, Kids! I’m Bill the Inspector,” he said, “I’ve come to inspect your fire alarms.” “I’m sorry, we can’t let strangers inside,” they said politely, and shut the door. “I don’t think he was telling the truth,” Rebekah said, “I think he is trying to steal something.” The mansion kids waited for a few minutes, and then peeked through the curtains of the front window. Bill hadn’t left. He was sneaking around the side of the house with a crowbar, trying to get inside. “What are we going to do?” Angela cried. “Let’s trick him into going downstairs and get him stuck in one of the rooms,” Robby suggested. “Great idea,” Rebekah exclaimed. Soon the kids heard Bill come through the back door, using a crowbar to break the lock. “Let’s go downstairs to the money room and count the dollar bills,” Robby suggested loudly. “Okay,” Rebekah and Angela replied. Bill fell for their trap and quietly followed the mansion kids downstairs, underneath the mountain. Suddenly, the kids began to run down the hall and into the last door on the left. Bill ran, too, because he really wanted to find the money room. But the kids had shut the door. Bill shouted, “Hey kids, it’s Bill the inspector. I’ve come into the house and you can’t stop me now! Tell me where the money room is.” “We’ll never tell, Bill.” The kids shouted back. “We’re not afraid of you.” That made Bill angry so he broke through the door and rushed in the room, only to fall face first into a ball pit. The mansion kids were already on the other side of the room, where there was another door. “You can’t catch us, Bill.” They teased as they ran through the door. Bill stood and tried to follow them, but he tripped on all the balls and finally had to crawl to the door. The next room was not the money room, but a rope course. The floor was actually a trampoline, so if you fell off the ropes, you wouldn’t get hurt. The kids swung like moneys across the room to the door in the middle of the wall, but Bill fell after the second rope. After bouncing and bouncing, Bill finally was able to grab onto a rope again and swing his way to the next door. By this time he was very tired. But the last room was the anti gravity room! The second door was by the ceiling. The kids had been in the room many times before, and they had learned to swim through the air anywhere they wanted. But Bill was so far behind he did not see the kids and he could not figure out how to move forward. So he floated straight up, and was stuck at the top. “Help, help, let me down,” he yelled. “Oh, we will let the police do that,” the kids said.  So Bill was arrested for breaking into the house, and the mansion was safe once again.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

What I've Been Up To

I swore I'd never be one of those bloggers that let my baby take over my blog, but...(see January). However, I thought last month's blog posts were a pretty accurate description of how my life has been. Nevertheless, I thought I'd give an update of the non-baby things I've been doing.

SCHOOL: I'm in two classes this semester- Trusts and Directed Research. I'm being lazy and including generic course descriptions below: 

• Trusts examines the legal framework of private and charitable trusts as vehicles for the donative disposition and management of personal wealth, both inter vivos and testamentary, with emphasis on the nature of the fiduciary obligations of trustees and the rights and obligations of trust grantors and beneficiaries.
• Directed Research requires that a student submit to their faculty supervisor a completed draft of a research paper or memorandum of law containing either criticism of the law relating to the topic area. I'm required to do 100 hours of work in researching and writing the paper- the area I'm focusing on is the Indian Civil Rights Act. 

BOOKS: Matt and I have been reading "Tuesdays with Morrie" this month. I've read the book before, but it's interesting reading it again because Morrie was a psychology professor, just like Matt wants to be. It's also an interesting read now that I'm married, as many of the topics in the book have new meaning now. I'm also looking forward to the sequel of "To Kill a Mockingbird"



MOVIES: We recently rewatched the 90's classic, "Cool Runnings."Here are some of my favorite quotes:

• A gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without one, you'll never be enough with one.
• When you need something from me, you don't have to hand me a bunch of lines. All you have to do is look at me in the eye and say, "Sanka, you are my best friend, we've been through a whole heap together, and I really, really need you."
• Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time! Cool Runnings!

DATES: My mom has been helping out a lot with the baby, which has given Matt and I the opportunity to get out a few times! We did sealings at the temple and I cheered Matt on during one of the Stake Basketball tournament games (he's #5).

GAMES: I've played Risk before, but it's been years, so we pulled it out this month and did the two player version. Unfortunately, Matt forgot to tell me all of the rules, so we had to have a rematch later on. 




Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Women and the Priesthood

After many many months, I've finally finished "Women and the Priesthood" by Sheri Dew.

Some of the insights (either quotes from her or others) I liked from the book were:

• Although women are not ordained to the priesthood, they "have countless opportunities in the Church to lead, pray, teach, preach, and expound doctrine, including as full-time, proselyting missionaries...many privileges that require ordination in other churches."
• Considering the circumstances under which the Relief Society Organization was formed, "it was in stark contrast to the conventions of the day for the leader of an organization--any organization, not to mention the leader of a religion--to give women significant time and attention."
• "For every woman, the challenge is one of discerning the Lord's will for her and then following the promptings of the Spirit. None of our divine errands are exactly the same."
• "Jesus honored womanhood when he came to this earth as a little child through the sacred and glorious agency of motherhood."
• "Mothers go missing in movies because leaving them in the lives of characters in crisis makes sustaining conflict difficult. Mothers listen and understand, solve problems and resolve conflicts. They are selfless and love without conditions. You want to stir up a heap of trouble and make it believable? Better keep Mom out of it."

This book gave me a lot to ponder about, and I appreciated many more quotes than the ones I listed above.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

If you're looking for a good children's book to read for the holidays, I highly recommend this one. I took us just a few weeks to read (reading two-three chapters a week). 

The Best Christmas Pageant is about a family of rowdy, bully-ish kids who decide to participate in the annual Christmas pageant by taking all the main roles. Having never heard the Christmas Story before, they bring new light to the story that is well-known to so many of us. 

Some of my favorite lines from the book are:

• "Hey! Unto you a child is born!" Gladys hollered, as if it was, for sure, the best news in the world. And all the shepherds trembled, sore afraid--of Gladys, mainly, but it looked good anyway.
• As far as I'm concerned, Mary is always going to look a lot like Imogene Herdman--sort of nervous and bewildered, but ready to clobber anyone who laid a hand on her baby.
• When Imogene had asked me what the pageant was about, I told her it was about Jesus, but that was just part of it. It was about a new baby, and his mother and father who were in a lot of trouble--no money, no place to go, no doctor, nobody they knew. 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Life of Pi

After almost four months, we've finally finished reading Life of Pi! We also watched the movie for the first time last night. So, here's my movie/book review:

I thought they did a really good job with the movie. Obviously they couldn't put everything in there, so I think they made the best decisions on what to include and what to leave out. After having read the book and knowing all of the details, I felt like the movie packed in as much information as it could and it seemed like it was over before I knew it!

Another thing I appreciated about the movie is that it was only rated PG. It could have easily been a higher rating had they chosen to include all the gory details from the book. But they didn't, and I'm glad. They still got the message across without having to be graphic.

Moving on to the actual book, I definitely did not see the end coming. Perhaps I should have expected a surprise, as the author already set a precedent by waiting until the second part to reveal that Richard Parker is actually a Tiger. After finishing the book I was initially dissatisfied, but after talking over the themes and symbolism with Matt and watching the movie, I concede that it was a good writing tactic. A good book leaves you wanting to re-read it. One way of accomplishing this is by changing your perspective in the last few pages.

Anyway, the biggest theme we noticed was "opposition in all things." Pi talks about how in times of rain, he wanted sunlight; and in times of heat, he wanted rain. While he realized the benefits that each brought, he also noticed the drawbacks. As far as the symbolism of the island is concerned, I think it is a representation of Pi's lifestyle on the boat and a personification of his realization that he needed to get back to civilization and shouldn't acquiesce to a life at sea.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Chronicles: The Last Battle

We did it--we finished the Chronicles of Narnia Series! It's taken us a little over a year to read them all aloud. We had some delays in finishing the final book, so we did a lot of catch up this weekend. The last book is not my favorite in the series, mostly because it addresses issues that arise in the last days, like a false Christ, death, and a lot of confusion. However, there are still a lot of lessons that I like from the book.

For instance, there are two "gods" in the Chronicles of Narnia: Tash and Aslan. Tash represents the devil, and Aslan represents Christ. In this last book, one man who believed in a God named Tash but who did good deeds, was accepted by Aslan and allowed to come into Aslan's kingdom. However, an ape who did terrible things while claiming to be a representative of Aslan was taken by Tash.

I also liked how in the "next life" in these books, you could go further up and further in and find a higher glory within each world, but which was bigger than you originally thought. It was great that all the characters from every book met in the end, and were all in the "highest part" of Aslan's kingdom.

As far as the "judgement" goes, I thought it was interesting how some animals went to Aslan's left and others to his right, depending on whether they accepted him or not. The last few chapters of the book are full of symbolism, which is what makes it a great ending to the series.

Rhetorically,

Rebekah

Chronicles: The Silver Chair

We did it!! We finished Book #6, and as always, I have a few comments to make.

First, this book is a good representation of life on earth. Aslan gives two children (Eustace and Jill) a mission to accomplish and provides them with four signs in order to guide them along the way. Aslan tells the kids to repeat the signs often, so they wouldn't forget them. What a great metaphor for the scriptures- they are given to us to guide us in this life. We're encouraged to read them often, in order to regain perspective.  So every week, Matt and I would re-read the signs before beginning that week's chapters.

Secondly, my favorite part of the book is when the villain is trying to convince the children and their guide that Aslan and the world they come from doesn't exist. She points out that they only describe Aslan and their world based on metaphors, and that they could have just dreamed the whole thing up. The children start to believe her, until their trusty guide, Puddleglum, says: "Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things--trees and grass and sun and moon and starts and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world."

Sometimes our testimonies are questioned by those who claim that we can't prove what we believe in. They say it could all just be made up. Well, if that's the case, I have to say that my belief in the purpose of this life and the life after this one is a whole lot more encouraging than believing otherwise. Which is why, even if it isn't true, I'll stick to my "play-world."

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

The Art of Mingling

I was lucky enough to get two part-time externships this summer, one in West Jordan and the other in SLC. This means I'll be spending 4-6 hours a week commuting to and from work. Because I would rather not waste that time listening to radio commercials, I'm opting for audio books! I just finished "the Art of Mingling." As an introvert, it can be very hard for me to talk to others in a party setting or in large groups. While I probably won't remember or use every technique this book offers, I would recommend it just for the conversation starters and tips to end a conversation.

For example, today I went to the Costco pharmacy to pick up a prescription. The line was very long and when I joined it, I expected to spend the next 30 minutes in awkward silence. Starting a conversation in a pharmacy line can be difficult, because you have to avoid the most obvious question of, "So what are you here for?" However, as one man remarked on the efficiency of the last pharmacy he went to, I remembered my new-found mingling skills and engaged in a conversation about ways to increase the efficiency in our current line, such as offering fast passes (I can never avoid a Disney reference), having samples along the way, etc.

So the book actually works. Good thing she had a whole section about mingling in line.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Chronicles: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

We finished book 5 this week! Since we read the books on Sunday, it's so interesting to see how the different stories relate to the gospel. For example, in this book, there is an island with creatures called "dufflepods" who are rather stupid. They blame all their problems and burdens on a magician who rules the island, and then you find out that the magician actually has them do things to support themselves. Similarly, we're learning about Moses and the children of Israel. All they did was complain to Moses and blame God for their problems, not realizing their blessings.

One symbol I thought was interesting in the book is when they went to the island of dreams, they were only able to leave the darkness when a pillar of light came through and gave them a point of reference. This only happened after Lucy 'prayed' for help from Aslan. I think this really relates to our day, when it can seem we are walking in darkness and it is our faith and the gospel that help us find our way back into the light.

Lastly, one of the lines I really liked was when Aslan remarks, "I keep my own rules." If everyone on the island was invisible, so was Aslan until a spell was given to turn them all visible. Similarly, I believe God also follows his own rules.

What symbolism and lessons do you see in the book?
Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Summer Plans

Even though I am working full-time this summer, I will have some time, mostly on the weekends, to devote to myself (and Matt). 

First up will be to catch up on reading! I've started a new series (Alcatraz by Brandon Sanderson):

And I'm hoping to start writing a children's chapter book, so naturally I had to re-read some of my childhood favorites (Captain Underpants, Time Warp Trio, Magic Tree House):

Other summer plans include using our Pass of All Passes, moving apartments, and taking the MPRE. 

What are your summer plans?
Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Chronicles: Prince Caspian

We finished reading Prince Caspian today!!! This means we are over halfway done with the Chronicles of Narnia series. A couple important differences about the movie and the book: (1) there is no romantic love between Caspian and Susan, (2) in the movie, there is a scene where they sneak into the castle to get the doctor out- this never happens in the book, (3) Caspian's aunt is not a character in the book, other than the fact it mentions she has a child.

As were were finishing up the book, I was struck with the scene where Caspian is knighted and made king by Peter. You'll notice that Aslan doesn't do this, even though it is present. Then, Caspian knights those around him who will be his counselors. Peter doesn't knight them, even though he is present. It reminded me of the conferral of the priesthood through Peter, James, and John to Joseph Smith, and then Joseph Smith's conferral of the priesthood to the other members of the Church. There is order in all things.

This is almost a story of a "second coming" where people have lost faith in the old traditions and in Aslan. There are different reactions when he comes back, from terrified or ignorant, to excited and loving. It's been a great read, and I'm excited to start a new book next week.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Chronicles: The Horse and His Boy

We did it! We finished the third book in the Chronicles of Narnia!!

"The Horse and His Boy" is one of my favorites in the series. This book is like the story of Moses, in a way, although you wouldn't know it as you read. *Spoiler Alert* I love the overarching theme of God's hand in our life, as Aslan works to nudge the Horse and His Boy in the right direction so that they can be at the right place at the right time. I especially love the culture that CS Lewis creates in exploring the countries surrounding Narnia, and also learning more about what the Pevensie children did when the grew up and ruled Narnia.

Rhetorically,

Rebekah

Dreams

Have you ever read the book BFG by Roald Dahl? It's one of my favorites. In it, a giant mixes dreams together and then goes out during the night to blow the dreams into little kid's rooms. One of my favorite chapters is when Sophie, a little girl, is examining the different labels to the dreams that the giant has created. So, I thought I would include "label like" summaries of the various dreams that I can remember having this past month. I only ask that you refrain from trying to interpret these dreams. 


"You are traveling in a blue car and you stay overnight in a hotel. When you wake up in the morning, all of the tires to every blue car in the parking lot have been slashed. All the other colored cars are chained up or have boots."

"You are a law student who is writing your 30 page substantial writing paper for Federal Indian Law. Your professor agrees to let you write 30 pages of Native American poetry instead."

"This dream is the reverse of Moby Dick. A whale is ruthlessly hunting down a man hiding on an island. The whale has a spy network and really good periscopes in order to do this."

"Your law school forms a swim team that competes on a high school level. You are the coach that must take them to the championships."

"You are running away from Russian spies, but luckily every house in your neighborhood has secret back passes through their fences with which you are uncannily familiar."

"The Law School decides that students aren't getting enough exercise, so they offer a 2 credit gym class, which you sign up for. The class includes weight lifting, running, and flag football."

For the record, I love it when I remember my dreams because at times I think it's the most creative I get. They occasionally supply inspiration for stories that I write. 

For those who participate in NaNoWriMo, writing dreams down is a good way to warm up for the day.

What have your recent dreams been about?

Rhetorically,
Rebekah