Happy Two Year Anniversary, Tracie! I Love You Now And Every Day.
Jun 30, 2008
Jun 28, 2008
The Selfish Giant- by Oscar Wilde
Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant's garden.
It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach-trees that in the spring-time broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them. 'How happy we are here!' they cried to each other.
One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden.
'What are you doing here?' he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.
'My own garden is my own garden,' said the Giant; 'any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.' So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board.
TRESPASSERS
WILL BE
PROSECUTED
He was a very selfish Giant.
The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones, and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside.
'How happy we were there,' they said to each other.
Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still Winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children, and the trees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the grass, but when it saw the notice-board it was so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the ground again, and went off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost. 'Spring has forgotten this garden,' they cried, 'so we will live here all the year round.' The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimney-pots down. 'This is a delightful spot,' he said, 'we must ask the Hail on a visit.' So the Hail came. Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates, and then he ran round and round the garden as fast as he could go. He was dressed in grey, and his breath was like ice.
'I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming,' said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white garden; 'I hope there will be a change in the weather.'
But the Spring never came, nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant's garden she gave none. 'He is too selfish,' she said. So it was always Winter there, and the North Wind, and the Hail, and the Frost, and the Snow danced about through the trees.
One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be the King's musicians passing by. It was really only a little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in the world. Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head, and the North Wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement. 'I believe the Spring has come at last,' said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed and looked out.
What did he see?
He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every tree that he could see there was a little child. And the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving their arms gently above the children's heads. The birds were flying about and twittering with delight, and the flowers were looking up through the green grass and laughing. It was a lovely scene, only in one corner it was still Winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, and he was wandering all round it, crying bitterly. The poor tree was still quite covered with frost and snow, and the North Wind was blowing and roaring above it. 'Climb up! little boy,' said the Tree, and it bent its branches down as low as it could; but the little boy was too tiny.
And the Giant's heart melted as he looked out. 'How selfish I have been!' he said; 'now I know why the Spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children's playground for ever and ever.' He was really very sorry for what he had done.
So he crept downstairs and opened the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden. But when the children saw him they were so frightened that they all ran away, and the garden became Winter again. Only the little boy did not run, for his eyes were so full of tears that he died not see the Giant coming. And the Giant stole up behind him and took him gently in his hand, and put him up into the tree. And the tree broke at once into blossom, and the birds came and sang on it, and the little boy stretched out his two arms and flung them round the Giant's neck, and kissed him. And the other children, when they saw that the Giant was not wicked any longer, came running back, and with them came the Spring. 'It is your garden now, little children,' said the Giant, and he took a great axe and knocked down the wall. And when the people were gong to market at twelve o'clock they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.
All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the Giant to bid him good-bye.
'But where is your little companion?' he said: 'the boy I put into the tree.' The Giant loved him the best because he had kissed him.
'We don't know,' answered the children; 'he has gone away.'
'You must tell him to be sure and come here to-morrow,' said the Giant. But the children said that they did not know where he lived, and had never seen him before; and the Giant felt very sad.
Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came and played with the Giant. But the little boy whom the Giant loved was never seen again. The Giant was very kind to all the children, yet he longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him. 'How I would like to see him!' he used to say.
Years went over, and the Giant grew very old and feeble. He could not play about any more, so he sat in a huge armchair, and watched the children at their games, and admired his garden. 'I have many beautiful flowers,' he said; 'but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.'
One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.
Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and looked and looked. It certainly was a marvellous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved.
Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across the grass, and came near to the child. And when he came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, 'Who hath dared to wound thee?' For on the palms of the child's hands were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet.
'Who hath dared to wound thee?' cried the Giant; 'tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him.'
'Nay!' answered the child; 'but these are the wounds of Love.'
'Who art thou?' said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child.
And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, 'You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise.'
And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.
This is my 2D Design final. This photo doesn't really do it justice, it's a really good picture, and I'm very proud of it. It's the moment the giant sees the Christ-child's hands and feet and asks "Who Art Thou?"
It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach-trees that in the spring-time broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them. 'How happy we are here!' they cried to each other.
One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden.
'What are you doing here?' he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.
'My own garden is my own garden,' said the Giant; 'any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.' So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board.
TRESPASSERS
WILL BE
PROSECUTED
He was a very selfish Giant.
The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones, and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside.
'How happy we were there,' they said to each other.
Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still Winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children, and the trees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the grass, but when it saw the notice-board it was so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the ground again, and went off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost. 'Spring has forgotten this garden,' they cried, 'so we will live here all the year round.' The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimney-pots down. 'This is a delightful spot,' he said, 'we must ask the Hail on a visit.' So the Hail came. Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates, and then he ran round and round the garden as fast as he could go. He was dressed in grey, and his breath was like ice.
'I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming,' said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white garden; 'I hope there will be a change in the weather.'
But the Spring never came, nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant's garden she gave none. 'He is too selfish,' she said. So it was always Winter there, and the North Wind, and the Hail, and the Frost, and the Snow danced about through the trees.
One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be the King's musicians passing by. It was really only a little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in the world. Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head, and the North Wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement. 'I believe the Spring has come at last,' said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed and looked out.
What did he see?
He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every tree that he could see there was a little child. And the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving their arms gently above the children's heads. The birds were flying about and twittering with delight, and the flowers were looking up through the green grass and laughing. It was a lovely scene, only in one corner it was still Winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, and he was wandering all round it, crying bitterly. The poor tree was still quite covered with frost and snow, and the North Wind was blowing and roaring above it. 'Climb up! little boy,' said the Tree, and it bent its branches down as low as it could; but the little boy was too tiny.
And the Giant's heart melted as he looked out. 'How selfish I have been!' he said; 'now I know why the Spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children's playground for ever and ever.' He was really very sorry for what he had done.
So he crept downstairs and opened the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden. But when the children saw him they were so frightened that they all ran away, and the garden became Winter again. Only the little boy did not run, for his eyes were so full of tears that he died not see the Giant coming. And the Giant stole up behind him and took him gently in his hand, and put him up into the tree. And the tree broke at once into blossom, and the birds came and sang on it, and the little boy stretched out his two arms and flung them round the Giant's neck, and kissed him. And the other children, when they saw that the Giant was not wicked any longer, came running back, and with them came the Spring. 'It is your garden now, little children,' said the Giant, and he took a great axe and knocked down the wall. And when the people were gong to market at twelve o'clock they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.
All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the Giant to bid him good-bye.
'But where is your little companion?' he said: 'the boy I put into the tree.' The Giant loved him the best because he had kissed him.
'We don't know,' answered the children; 'he has gone away.'
'You must tell him to be sure and come here to-morrow,' said the Giant. But the children said that they did not know where he lived, and had never seen him before; and the Giant felt very sad.
Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came and played with the Giant. But the little boy whom the Giant loved was never seen again. The Giant was very kind to all the children, yet he longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him. 'How I would like to see him!' he used to say.
Years went over, and the Giant grew very old and feeble. He could not play about any more, so he sat in a huge armchair, and watched the children at their games, and admired his garden. 'I have many beautiful flowers,' he said; 'but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.'
One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.
Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and looked and looked. It certainly was a marvellous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved.
Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across the grass, and came near to the child. And when he came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, 'Who hath dared to wound thee?' For on the palms of the child's hands were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet.
'Who hath dared to wound thee?' cried the Giant; 'tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him.'
'Nay!' answered the child; 'but these are the wounds of Love.'
'Who art thou?' said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child.
And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, 'You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise.'
And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.
This is my 2D Design final. This photo doesn't really do it justice, it's a really good picture, and I'm very proud of it. It's the moment the giant sees the Christ-child's hands and feet and asks "Who Art Thou?"
I don't love you
I haven't posted in awhile (at least for me) I'll post more about what's up with my wacky life later. But here are 2 pics that cracked me up. Barney haters unite!
Jun 23, 2008
Weekend of Wonders
I've been a lucky son of a gun 2 weekends in a row. (Ironically, neither of my parents are firearms or weapons of any kind). First, this week my parents & lil' bros were in town, and we got to see them several times. My parents went to Thanksgiving Point where the Plein Air Art Festival was going on (more on this later) as they know the CEO of Thanksgiving Point. (Good Friends) So they wanted us to go to Thanksgiving Point to see the Festival, and who were we do argue? (Nobody, that's who!) Now, let me go in reverse a bit. Here's Saturday:Unlucky part: As usual, I had Biology from 8-12 Saturday morny. It was ok, as we mostly talked about evolution and how the earth came about by alien life generator technology and other fairy tales. It was my last class of the semester (next week is the final) so I was happy about that. No more Biology!!! So the unlucky part became the lucky part! HA! This really was a great weekend.
After class we went out to lunch, Wingers, our restaurant of choice, and greatly enjoyed that, naturally. Then we went to Thanksgiving Point, which neither of us have ever been, (the gardens, that is) and they were just gorgeous. I had no idea somewhere so beautiful was so close. Tracie went trigger happy with the camera, shooting everything in sight, until the camera couldn't keep up with her and gave up the ghost and 2 sets of batteries. We met a few of the artists there, I didn't get to meet James Christensen but I saw his umbrella! Wow, you saw James Christensen's umbrella? Lucky! We'll post some of Tracie's lovely pictures sometime, I'm sure. Thank you mom & dad for paying for us to go to Thanksgiving Point and to rent a golf cart, (it was REALLY hot!!) we had a great time!
After Thanksgiving Point, we went to see "Get Smart" with tickets I won at work. I give it my full recommendation, we laughed pretty much the entire time. It was so refreshing to see a movie that 1) doesn't rely on dirty embarrassing humor (there was some dirty humor, but it wasn't the focus and it wasn't disgusting) and they never milked a joke because there were so many in there, it was like, "this joke: funny, quick, next joke, next joke, etc." there was so much funny going on you couldn't keep up. And kudos to the writers & director for making the film suspenseful AND hilarious, and the actors for nailing their characters. In conclusion, I loved it and give it an easy 5 stars. We're definitely going to buy this one. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard and so frequently in the movie theater. BAsically, I liked it.
And that was our Saturday! Jealous? (Unless you're Mandy ;))
Sunday was also good, Aaron & Heidi's new arrival William was blessed and so we got to go see them and have a good luncheon at Aaron's parents house (also in Thanksgiving Point) and we went home, had a long nap, and went to the McNeils and visited, had food, and went on a lovely walk in their lovely neighborhood. It was lovely. And there's our weekend.
Now I'm back at work, all ready for a great week in store!
Jun 19, 2008
IS THIS What those Democrats want???
Here's your Democrat "Dreamticket."McCain's looking better and better all the time.
Jun 18, 2008
Firefox 3 & Stumble, my new best friend.
I usually hate sequels and hate the trequels even more. However, I am loving Firefox 3, and the new addon, StumbleUpon.Here are four art websites I greatly enjoy, and another picture I stumbled upon.
http://www.zefrank.com/scribbler/
http://jacksonpollock.org/
http://bomomo.com/
http://artpad.art.com/artpad/painter/
check out the websites and Get Stumble Upon!!!!
Egads! I've been Tagged!!
Charlotte has tagged me. Now I have no choice but to react.10 years ago I was...
Dying of cancer, having High School at home and dating my first girlfriend Suzette.
5 years ago I was...
Getting back from my mission to Minnesota and debating what the heck I should do next.
1 year ago I was...
Enjoying my job a lot. Working at QualitySmith, having fun, and getting ready to go back to college. And getting ready to celebrate my 1 year anniversary to Tracie. Yay!
Yesterday I was...
At work, blogging, then in SF at my last 2DDesign class of the semester.
5 favorite snacks...
Jelly bellies
Gummi cokes
pretzels and all pretzel relatives (soft pretzels, gardetto's, etc.)
Cheetos
Pretty much any and everything made by Tracie the next day. (The day before it was dinner/lunch/a meal)
5 favorite books...
The Alchemist by Pablo Coelho
Complete Poems of E.E. Cummings
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (I don't usually call something a fave after reading it just once, but for this I'll make an exception)
Exile by R.A. Salvatore
5 Favorite movies...
The Princess Bride
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Strictly Ballroom
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Stardust
Honorable Mentions:
French Kiss, Shrek 1, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Harry Met Sally, Young Frankenstein.
5 favorite places to runaway to...
The Library
The Park
The Internet
The Movies
Bed
5 bad habits...
Only 5? Nosepicking (sorry)
brainless internet surfing (dang Wikipedia!)
procrastinating
being offended when no offense was meant
swearing (but only in the car. I'm working on it, Mom, I swear! Dang it!)
5 things I would never wear...
I'm a boy, so these aren't as interesting, unless...
a bikini
a thong (try getting rid of THAT image!)
lipstick (never again)
a leather jacket (not that I protest animal cruelty or turning them into clothes, kill them all, but I just can't pull the leather jacket look off. I'm just too damn cute & sweet.)
a white glove covered in rhinestones. (don't ask)
5 pet peeves...
Fake people
Bad comedians (that goes to both bad mouthed ones, and unfunny ones. You all suck!)
Hollywood Media and their obsessions with celebrity
Paris Hilton (see fake people)
people who leave the toilet seat down.
5 things I enjoy...
Tracie
Greek food
Art & Poetry
Good writing (esp. Fantasy) whether my own or others.
anything that tickles my funny bone (it's very sensitive)
5 favorite TV shows...
Arrested Development
Scrubs
Obligatory ones (Simpsons, Friends, Seinfeld, Home Improvement, etc.)
I don't watch much/any TV shows that are still on, really.
American Idol
5 people I would like to meet...
Living people or dead people? I'll do both.
Dead (or not on the earth, currently)
Jesus Christ
Oscar Wilde
Captain Moroni
Mark Twain
Jim Morrison
Alive (that I'm aware of)
Neil Gaiman
Thomas S. Monson
Shigeo Fukuda
Steven Spielberg
Dave Barry
I'm not good at tagging people (one reason I was always one of the last ones picked for tag. But I was really good at BEING tagged. Guess some things never change.)
So I'll tag EVERYBODY!!! If you're on my list of Blogs o Fun, you've been Tagged! Ashley, Brittnee, Charity, Cheryl, Erin, Heather, Heidi, Jan, Jasmine, Jen, Jessica, Jim, Justin, Katy, Kris, Lynette, Mandi, Mandy, Becki, Seth, Taylor, Tracie, and anyone ELSE who reads this blog!!! (Charlotte is exempt, as she tagged me, and as we all know, there are no tagbacks allowed.)
How's THAT for a tag! Ooh, snap!
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