Joy the Baker

JOY is one of my favorite food bloggers. Her recipes are to.die.for, never-fail, be-so-impressive-at-parties-and-to-yourself-at-home-type recipes. She's also groovy and funny. And she has a wonderful post about sending out this year by making a time capsule. It's a great idea, check out her site!!

p.s. pictured above is one of my favorite recipes of hers: Chicken Pot Pie with Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits. It has a lengthy name because it is flavor-packed. It's sort of a boy-magnet meal. Make this for a boy and he will love you (seriously, I'm not necessarily encouarging you, this recipe should be shared cautiously. Ok, actually, I'm totally encouraging you. Bake this and then deal with the consequences.)

Old Acquaintance

Once upon a time there was a teeny tiny town

 up in the mountains.

There was one blinking stoplight,

a drugstore that served banana splits,

and plenty of fields full of cows for tipping.

I grew up there with a great group of small-town gals.

We're all spread out now,

even out to Washington and {!} Cananda.

I went to school with these girls.

 All of school: elementary, middle, and high.

The three {small} buildings are on the same block,

on the street behind Main Street.

Named: Wildcat Drive, because our HS mascot

 was a Wildcat, of course.

This little reunion has been a long time coming.

Some of us hadn't seen each other for six years!

There were babies.

And stories.

And, naturally, food. We had to eat while we gossiped.

This is Pam.

We used to ditch class and eat oreo shakes at Dick's Drive In.

She's married now {and expecting!}

I hope she's cool with me telling all of you.

p.s. this photo=wonky noses. Whoa.

Even when we don't stay in touch

we pick up right where we left off.

So proud and happy about all they're accomplishing,

and grateful for the chance we had to get together.

My heart is ravisht with delight

when thee I think upon;

All grieft and sorrow takes the flight

and speedily is gone.

The bright resemblance of thy face

so fills this heart of mine;

that force nor fate can me displease

for Old Long Syne.

Rockin' Around

We rocked out all Christmas Eve.
 Check me out, strumming a few chords!

My soon-to-be step-sister Jenny is amazing on the electric guitar;

she's a song-writing, lyric-belting rock star.

My brother James pulled out his keyboard.

We all sang our hearts out, late into the night.

MoTab Merriment

A Sunday/Birthday treat. I went with Kristen last week to see her dad in the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert, the portion they performed for the Music and the Spoken Word program. 

 Her brother Chase came, too--isn't he handsome?!

The Tabernacle was beautiful.

The singing was lovely.

The soloist, Nathan Gunn, had the most

 powerful, deep baritone voice.

He was so personable and charming!

It was a delightful morning.

Princess Fort

I made a fort for Kristen's birthday.

It was really fun. Last Saturday morning, I woke up and got to work, stringing twine from the ceiling to my bed frame, clothespinning sheets up to make a big canopy.

I made paper stars and hung them with sparkly lights inside.

It was magical. And fun.

I blindfolded her and took her on an obstacle course. So silly*

*Silly is important in life. Trust me.

We're growing up!

But not too much.

Whole Way

I wrote this post as a check-in on my goals six months into the year.

Here’s a list of what I’ve accomplished since then, during the second half of 2011.
And then…I’m going to write a post reviewing the year as a whole.
That’s a lot of reflection as the year wraps up. Just go with it.


Some things I’m glad I accomplished since July:

1. I got cast in a great show at a very nice theatre for a very long run, and met the most wonderful people. Great for my career, my social life, and it made me happy.

2. My braces were replaced with a retainer! It is so fun to have a smile that I’m happy to flash for pictures. I love not worrying about my crooked teeth on dates and at auditions. And I’m proud to have done it for myself, a really good self-investment.

3. I got an agent and started adding films and VOs to my resume. Getting sent to auditions and called back regularly helped me realize my talent. You can’t rely on outside validation like that, but it strengthened my inner confidence a bit. And I had some fun experiences because of the agency.

4. I fell for someone for the first time in a long, long time. Butterflies in the stomach, jump up and down in the grocery store when he sent me a text, kisses that made my toes tingly-fell for someone. It was so nice to be genuinely interested again, and comforting to know that it does just happen; you don’t have to force yourself to like someone, you will just naturally be excited about seeing them and spending time with them (I know this is a given for most of y’all, but I was starting to think something was wrong with me, because I was going on all of these dates with great guys, but felt nothing…)

5. We broke up. Accomplishment? Yes. Because I was honest and gave up what I wanted in the moment for what I wanted most. It was a difficult decision, and I think it could have worked out had a few things gone differently. But I feel good about the experience and I feel good about moving forward.

6. I traveled, a lot. To LA, San Diego, Texas, Seattle. I became a more independent, capable person and traveled to places I wanted to go. This made the world feel attainable; I can go anywhere and do anything.

7. I got a new job!! One that will take me to a new city, and eventually Australia and London. With a company I full-heartedly support, and the work I’ll be doing is IMPORTANT. And fulfilling. And lucrative. I worked hard for it, but it also seemed custom-tailored for my goals and handed to me.

8. I resigned from my other jobs on great terms with my management teams. I have been so touched by the sincere well-wishes I’ve received; both places of employment encouraged me to take this great opportunity, and my employees and my bosses have been so sweet in telling me goodbye. I’m proud of the work I’ve done for them. And I’ve been blown away by the kind, flattering words of my editor, co-workers, and mentors.

9. Sold my contract and am moving out of my apartment: the first apartment I found and paid for completely by myself.

10. I made a Halloween costume. I decorated for Christmas. My holiday spirit is coming back again, and my heart is warming up a bit.

11. Spent TONS of time with my family and friends. I got out of the house (oh, I love staying home, reading and basking in glorious solitude…) and made dinner for dad, took people out for lunch, went country dancing, played with my niece, saw concerts and plays, and had a host of adventures. A very full, festive summer and fall I had.

12. I don’t have any debt, I have some money saved, and my car is healthier than not. I’ll be taking it in for some tune-up stuff after Christmas. I feel responsible and ready to handle more in life. More abundance and more goodness!

Are you Jesus?

I received a forwarded story from my step-mom, a few years ago, and came across it today while I was searching for something else in my email archives.

It's a good story for this season. I don't know if it's true. I've re-written it, so it doesn't read quite so spam/cheesy.  It has a good little ping! of inspiration to be a better witness of Christ.

It ping!ed me because I'm a big talker: I tell people my ideas about the scriptures and church. But this story made me think about whether I'm truly an example of a believer--are my actions reflections of the Savior? I hope it inspires you to share a little more kindness and have a little more patience, that's what it did for me.

Here's my slightly-adapted version of the tale:


A few years ago a group of salesmen traveled to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would arrive home well before Friday night dinner. What with traffic and checking-in, they fell behind schedule and the pack of men began to sprint toward their gates to catch their flights.

In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding.

All but one.
He paused, took a deep breath and felt a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He waved his buddies to go on without him, "Call my wife and tell her I'll be on the next flight."
He turned around and returned to the apple-strewn terminal.

The young girl was on her knees, groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopped. People hardly noticed her, apples were kicked further from her reach.

As the salesman knelt near her to apologize, he was surprised to realize the girl was blind. Tears ran down her cheeks in frustration.

He didn't know what to say. He was so glad he had come back.

Kneeling on the floor in his suit, he began picking up apples and placing them in the girls hands. Her brow furrowed for a moment, and then she scooped herself up, arranged the apples in one of her several baskets, and then timidly reached her hands out for more.

He gathered up all the apples, handing them to her as she organized her display table. As he did this, he noticed that many of them were battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he finished, he pulled out his wallet and pressed two twenty-dollar bills into her hands. "Here," he said, "please take this for the damage we did. Are you okay?"

The girl nodded and took a hiccup-ish breath, holding the money with both hands, face turned up toward the man.

"I hope we didn't spoil  your day too badly," he picked up his brieface and started to walk away.

The bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister!"
He paused and looked back at her.
She asked, "Are you Jesus?"
Her question shocked him. He stood and watched her as she smiled to herself, folded the money away, and busied herself with her stand again.

Then he slowly walked away to arrange a later flight.

The question stuck in his mind, "Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus?

still waiting...patiently

"To Whom It May Concern" by The Civil Wars from Amanda Cafazzo on Vimeo.

I love this song.
It is hopeful.
Patience and self-love: themes of 2011.
2012: let go of the past and open my heart

Dickens!

We went to the Dickens Festival.

We found Father Christmas. He was jolly.

We saw gingerbread houses.

We took a ride in a 150-year-old horse-drawn coach.

Our coachlady was very kind, as was the footman.

We tasted specialty olive oils...olive oils made with exotic herbs and spices.

And there was balsamic vinegar, as well. Fig vinegar, chili vinegar, chocolate vinegar, white grape vinegar.

I can't name them all.

But we tasted them all!

We spoke in English accents the entire evening. A little girl and her mom asked us where we were from, which started a delightful conversation and ended in two great new friends!

Honor

Dave Curtis {SBU Manager}, Me, Greg Black {my employee who is also in the National Guard}, Kim Watts {ESGR rep}

A wonderful thing happened today! The greatest surprise! 

I work as a supervisor, one of my employees, Greg,  is in the National Guard, he's a great guy.

Today, I see Greg carrying a framed certificate, accompanied by an official-looking man in a tweed suit jacket, loitering around the other supervisors' desks. I think, Aww, Greg must have been recognized for his service! I'm a little bummed that they seem to be coordinating a small awards ceremony with the other sups, but whatever--I'll at least tag along and see him be recognized.

Some people are gathered. My boss' boss included.

Imagine my surprise when GREG starts giving a speech, instead of the other guy.

He nominated me for an award, and wrote an essay, and it was given to me, because of what he said about me as an employer.

It says, "Office of the Secretary of Defense and Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve recognize Jessica Montgomery as a Patriotic Employer for contributing to National Security and Protecting Liberty and Freedom by supporting employee participation in America's National guard and Reserve Force."

I feel so incredibly honored. This may be the most meaningful recognition I've ever received.

The greatest honor of all is that Greg took the time to do this for me. I don't feel that I've done anything special to help him be able to participate in the guard. I suddenly feel like I should have been doing much, much more! I do honor and respect him so much for sacrificing to serve our country. His wife and children are so sweet and wonderful, too; I think very highly of their family.

I can't wait to show this to my dad. He taught me to love American history and to be aware of what the country is doing as a whole, what our rights are, and to participate as an active citizen. He is going to be so proud! I feel like this honor reflects upon all that he taught me, and actually honors and respects him.

Another manager here, Clint Grace (also my former boss), told me that this award isn't given frequently. "It's quite prestigous and really, a big deal," he said.

Festivities

After spending four hours in the SeaTac airport (delays...), I arrived in Salt Lake at 7:50p on Monday night. Kris picked me up and we whizzed off to West Bountiful for a little house concert with Mindy Gledhill.

It was delightful. Christmasey. Cozy. We made lots of new friends. And took pictures by the sparkly tree, of course.

Holidays can be truly magical, if I take the time to be festive and spread joy and open my heart.

I've been trying to do small, good deeds to help make this a REAL HOLIDAY SEASON. Despite the busy-ness of this time of year, I want to complete the list of good deeds I came up with at the beginning of the month. I'll report back soon. Wish me luck!

Answers

I recently finished reading The Book of Mormon, one of my favorite books. It is a true book and brings peace and comfort to my heart.
Took me a while to read it this time around; I started at the beginning back in April. A young man in church shared an experience in which he wrote a question down, put it in an envelope, and slid it in the back cover of his copy of the Book of Mormon. He said that every time he had done this, he received an answer by the time he finished the book.
So I put a question in the back of my book and started reading. The question was:

"What should I do with my life next? Which direction should I go now?"

Over the last six months, I've received a ton of guidance, one step at a time. A series of events led me to an audition/interview in Seattle yesterday.
They put me in a very cushy suite. The team gave me high-fives after my performance. Everyone smiled and spoke about life enthusiastically. I loved them.
And I got the job.
This job. It is tailored perfectly to my dreams and goals. Travel. Help people. Share goodness and light. Act. Believe in my company. Speak more Korean. Have fun and enjoy work. Have time to do the important things.
On the plane ride home, I read the last few pages of the Book of Mormon. My question is answered in the most complete, sure way. It is an answer that has been molded and shaped and revealed a piece at a time. And at the close of this year, it is a bold arrow, pointing: GO THIS WAY.

I'm excited. A little scared, but in that good-scary way. And so grateful.
Just want to point out that: this job and the opportunities it affords are good and are a blessing from God in my life. I know that He is ever-aware of me and my intents and desires. And I know that He has big tasks for me to accomplish, that will change the world and help His children, one person at at time.
When I pray, I feel His love and confirm my ideas about the work I am to do.
When I read the scriptures, I receive strength and confidence and inspiration.
When I follow His commandments, my life is filled with perspective, purpose, and power, all gifts from the Holy Ghost.
When I go to the temple, my heart expands and I know that I am a daughter of the Almighty God.

The Book of Mormon started me on the journey that led me to that knowledge. It has given me answers throughout my life. It is my book, in the way that it has been personalized by the experiences we've had together. I carry a mini copy of it in my purse, because it not only holds the Lord's words, but it also holds every answer, all the spiritual moments I've experienced within its pages. It is a reminder of the road we're traveling together: me, the adventurous marauder pressing forward; it, the road map that points the way.

If you have questions about the Book of Mormon, you can find some answers here.

Nightmares

I have vivid dreams.

Dreams that seem more real than what's real.

I dream about people, about love, about projects.

I dream about what's in my heart, because when I'm awake, my brain won't shut up; it dominates the conversation and my heart can't get a word in edgewise. But at night, my heart pipes up and says, "Listen. Here's what you really want. This is the thing you're actually chasing. Consider these things, too, when making decisions."

Last night, I had a nightmare. I woke up, curled into a ball, and sobbed.
It was my heart saying, "Listen, it's okay to be scared. And you're scared right now. You should stop pretending you're not."

It is okay to be scared. It doesn't mean I won't do the thing that scares me. It just means that it's important to me; it may even be an indicator that I am about to do exactly the thing that I need to stretch and grow and become more than I am.

The morning I began my mission for the church, just before we piled into the truck so my family could drop me off at the missionary training center, I broke. For the first time. I cried and told my dad how scared I was, that I wasn't sure if I could do it, or if I even wanted to do it. I felt alone.

Dad told me it was okay to be scared. And that I didn't have to pretend I wasn't. That it is okay to need people--I hate that I need people, it's so vulnerable! But I do. And, thankfully, I have bunches of wonderful friends and family members who want to help me, anytime, any day.

That mission turned out to be one of the most precious experiences of my life. I think of it every.single.day. It was scary, because it pushed me to be better, it demanded that I decide who I was and what I was going to do about that, and it required me to have integrity and be what I said I was. It took a lot of effort.

I feel like that now, too. I know what I am capable of, and I feel like the horizon holds big, giant, leaping steps in that area (the area of changing the world and fulfilling the measure of my creation).

And it is scary, because sometimes instead of stetching and rising to the task and pressing forward, I just want to sink into the couch, eat pasta and read a book.

But I can't. I'm ready to do more. And so I admit it: I'm a little scared! But it's a good-scary. It's a scary that tells me, "This is your chance to do something important."

The lesson about fear is this: Do not heed your fears. But don't ignore them, either. Face them. Look that fear sqare in the eye and tell it, "You can't stop me. I am going to do this."

Small Proofs

First Presidency Christmas Devotional....can't believe it's the first Sunday of December already.

Last year, admidst my zombie-depression, Kristen dragged me to the devotional.

It lifted my spirits and put a little bit of life and hope back into my broken heart.

This year, my date and I had to park SEVEN BLOCKS away. We sprinted to the door and sat down next to Kris and her sister as the program started, panting and coughing the cold air out of our lungs.

It was nice. Good, Christmas messages.

But the thing that was the nicest was: I didn't need cheering up. I already had a heart full of hope when I arrived. It was one more proof that this year has been full of healing and growth. And: GRATITUDE.

p.s. We saw Santa! Of course he showed up at the devotional, naturally... {He's up on the balcony--can you see him?}

Work

In a fitness article about GRIT, I once read something that kind of went like this: "Once you decide to do it--whatever IT is for you, stay committed. Don't question it. After a long, awful day of grading papers and trying to keep up in my own classes: this is not the time to question whether I should really become a professor. Schedule a time to reevaluate your goals in three months. And then forget about it and stick to your decision. If you have a rough day, just say, 'Now is not the time to question this,' and stay true to what you committed to accomplish."

"Now is not the time to question this" has saved my dreams and kept me on the path, multiple times.

The second key to accomplishing the goal is WORK; you can have anything, but you have to work to make it happen.  This Ira Glass quote inspires me when I'm in a funk. Watch it, and then go get what you want by doing lots of work.


Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.