Soul Carving

Reflections on Wisdom Sits in Places by Keith H. Basso In Western Apache culture, places bear the names given to them by the ancestors. These names are often straight forward in their descriptions, but always imbued with deep meaning. The elders of Apache society instruct their youth to drink deeply from the wisdom of these places. Wisdom is like water. As one apache said, "You can't live long without water and you can't live a long time without wisdom. You need to drink both." Certain places then, are like oases of knowledge from which each generation may quench their thirst. Often, the sacredness of these place-worlds is not recognized until after repeated experience with them. It takes great faith to act with reverence even when one's surrounding seem not to merit such actions. We must beleive that simple tasks, when repeated in an intentional, ceremonial fashion, can hallow even the the most derelect environments. This is the process we r...

        I'm in need of married, LDS volunteers to help me out with a school research project. I'm enrolled in a Family and Social Sciences Research Methods class at BYU. Please follow the link to take a brief, online survey. https://byu.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3IRNSbhITDDjLVz If you are interested in the results of our research, leave a comment and I will be sure to share our findings with you at the conclusion of our project. If you know of any married, LDS individuals who would be willing to take the survey, please share/repost this link. Our goal is 300 participants.  Thank you, dear readers!

       This semester I'm taking an interesting class, teaching me the ins and outs of research within in the fields of Family and Social Sciences. Last month I had my first exam.         It was snowing as I drove to campus, and when I emerged from the testing center two hours later, I felt as though I'd passed through the wardrobe and entered the world of Narnia.        One of the things I'm enjoying most about this class so far is that the Professor allows you to retake the test. So long as it's within the 4 day period that the test is offered, and if you actually take another day to study in between attempts, then only your second score will be counted. I took the exam earlier in the week and realized there was some material that I was not familiar with. So after some more study, I retook the test and my score rose from a C to an A! I'm alright with that!         I'm am...

       I had my second midterm exam for Physical Science this week. I was overjoyed to receive an A on the first. But I must admit, I was also very concerned. You see, for a portion of the test we were allowed to go over our answers with a pair of fellow students. I found this collaboration extremely beneficial, and changed many of my answers after discussing them with my partners. But, was my unexpectedly high score merely a reflection of their knowledge? How would I fare the next time around?        Meticulous note-taking, reading and rereading the textbook chapters helped me feel I'd prepared the best I could. So I headed out the door with a light heart, amid the cheerful encouragement of 5 childish voices, heeding Daddy's direction, "Everybody wish Mama good luck on her test!" "Goodluck, Mama!!"              The glorious, crisp October weather kept my spirits bright. And the stroll up the hill on the south...

       Children are pleading for my attention, dinner preparations are stalled, I'm staring at the computer screen with my head in my hands as I realize there's another page of 7 more questions to complete for my homework that's due in 20 minutes. But my class starts in 15 minutes and at this time in the evening, it usually takes me that long to drive there. Then add another 7 minutes to walk from the parking lot to my classroom. It's the second week of classes and already I'm toast. This is how I spell "S-T-R-E-S-S-E-D  O-U-T".        Plus, it's raining out.        So I fumble through the homework questions as best as I can, stuff the textbook into my backpack, throw on a sweatshirt and head out the door, grumbling all the way. In my mind I could hear a calmer, more optimistic me trying to reason with myself.         "Okay, so you're late to class. At least you got the homework done. Feeli...

    Remember how Richard and I celebrated the completion of my statistics class ? Well, I've still got my nose to the grindstone, now with an online American Heritage class. (More about that later). I've got 2 more years to earn my bachelor's degree.      Most people's eyes grow big when they learn about the class I'm taking. " And you're homeschooling, and  leading the Young Women program?" I think they mean to sound complimentary, but it always strikes me as a bit odd. No one ever makes a big deal about the fact that I wake up every morning, and  get dressed, and change 2 diapers, and  manage to finish breakfast before lunchtime rolls around. Not that they should. It's just a part of life, you know - a result of hundreds of small choices made over time, accumulating in a unique personal experience. Nothing extraordinary about that.     Or is there?         Think about it. While I'm guilty of enjoying the fl...

     Statistics.      Just the word is enough to make some people cringe. Mark Twain is reported to have said, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." But after finishing an introductory course this past semester, I can honestly say I've gained a new appreciation for the subject. I was nervous about the class in the beginning. I had't met anyone who had fond memories of their Stats class. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover an instructor whose enthusiasm for the subject was endearing, if not contagious. I found myself thinking differently about things, applying equations and concepts I'd previously seen as strictly scientific, but suddenly seemed so appropriate, helpful, and. . . dare I say - fun! Have you ever tried formulating null and alternative hypotheses to justify an opinion you have which contradicts popular belief? Or plotting data to measure the correlation between bedtimes and crankiness-levels among young chil...