East of Eden

I just finished it last night. I can't believe it's taken me this long to do so, it was so good. I find myself wishing people still spoke with that kind of language, it seems more powerful..or something. It toyed with my emotions more than any book I can remember. One minute I wanted to cry, the next I was laughing. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"The proofs that God does not exist are very strong, but in lots of people they are not as strong as the feeling that He does."

"Ladies were not ladies anymore, and you couldn't trust a gentleman's word."

"You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your preconception. You see what is, where most people see what they expect."

"There are no ugly questions except those clothed in condescension."

"A kind of light spread out from her. And everything changed color. And the world opened out. And a day was good to awaken to. And there were no limits to anything. And the people of the world were good and handsome. And I was not afraid anymore."

"I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is almost indestructible."

"He loved a celebration of the human soul. Such things were like personal triumph to him."

"Tom's cowardice was as huge as his courage, as it must be in great men. His violence balanced his tenderness. And himself was a pitted battlefield of his own forces."

"In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved. Indeed, most of their vices are attempted short cuts to love."

"They say a clean cut heals soonest. There's nothing sadder to me than associations held together by nothing but the glue of postage stamps. If you can't see or touch a man, it's best to let him go."

"I don't want to know how it comes out. I only want to be there while it's going on."

Yes, Please

Read this, now.

As I read this article I was presented with a concept that is far from new to me, but one I've almost always ignored. It's only been recently that the concept of simplicity has become so appealing. I'm tired of being surrounded by meaningless stuff. Sure, I like my shoes...but how many of them do I wear consistently? Maybe 10, at the very most (seasons combined). The size of my wardrobe is completely ridiculous and I have more useless items than any 30 people should own collectively.

The girl in the article is pretty extreme with her purging of 'stuff', but it's also inspiring. I would love nothing more than to live in a clutter-free 400 sq ft apartment with whomever I marry. My only non-negotiable item? My piano. It's my escape from the world (when no one is home to listen, of course), that's something I'm not willing to give up. Other than that, I'm kind of sick of having so many things. Although I love what I do, I wish I didn't work in an industry so caught up with appearance. Otherwise, I'd own minimal amounts of clothing. Maybe I should change professions.

RRL

I love this too much.

Florida.2

It happens to be I have so much to say, that I have nothing to say at all. So, I will just post some more Florida pictures.

the beach..not awful

farmer's market - so good!

at an outside mall enjoying the musical stylings of Billy Bones

coldstone (for the first time) with my new friends :)

The Big Tree

Ok, I lied. I'm uploading one of my own pictures. One of my first days in Florida, Megan was off working so her friends were trying desperately to entertain me (they'd yet to realize I'm not difficult to please). They took me to part of the island where there is a museum and really cool scenery. They said "we have to take her to see the big tree!" My interest was sparked...
Here is what I saw:

I'm not sure if you can tell, but the roots are out of the ground so much that they are basically the entirety of the bottom half of the tree. I was in awe. It looked like the perfect place to sit and read a book all day. Or to get married (which unfortunately, they do not allow). I have to say, it was one of my favorite places I visited while there.