Girls Just Wanna Be Free

I feel like talking about freedom, especially of the girl power kind.
I love girl power, especially when its of the story kind.
Everyone says girls just wanna have fun.
But I think girls just wanna be free.
I did some thinking recently, and my thinking was that of the realization kind.
Not an epiphany.
More like an observation.
I like to write about freedom.
Freedom of all kinds.
Freedom to chose.
Freedom to love.
Freedom to dance like no one's watching...
when everyone's watching.
Freedom to express.
Freedom to remain silent.
Freedom to live the life that you want to live.

So, what got me thinkin?
I think it was these stories.
Because, you know, I like stories.

I saw this movie with my mom!
Have you seen it with your mom?
Because you should see it with you mom.*

I can't do archery. I can't ride a horse through the rugged woods. I can't climb the Fire Falls.
But I do think there's something to be said for feeling so...was it brave?...after watching that movie. I'm not sure that's the exact word, but I will say the scene where the mother walks through the crowd of fighting men, head held high, silent as a hawk, definately gave me chills.
That movie was about so much more and so moany other things than I had made it out to be, and I love it when that happens!

Secondly,
Ah this book! My friend lent it to me and now I will have to buy my own copy, which means I will have to do it soon as I'll need the hardback copy, as I'll be buying the rest of the trilogy as it releases because I LOVED THIS BOOK!
(And also I have a pet peeve with my series being of different kinds of back--hard back, paper back. An odd peeve, but one I couldn't help to accumulate over the years.)
So
About freedom
This book is woven with notes of freedom. And what I like so much about it is that it does a really good job of inter-connecting our freedoms with our obligations and also with the accidents, both good and bad, that we cannot get away from, and how we can react to and control those circumstances with our choices.
In short, with our freedom.
In a purely bookish manner, the story is fast paced but still retains the feeling of an enduring epic novel. It's not one fight for one battle and then show's over folks, let's walk into the sunset and not forget that last ringer of a cliff hanger for your fan angsty pleasure.
No, I felt so satisfied after it was over...AND I still want to read the rest of the books. I could go on about this but instead,

Thirdly,
My own Story

I took these photos at the most opportune of unopportune moments. This is in the expansive land behind my grandfather's home on the reservation in New Mexico. The image you see could have been recreated many times over in the past years, and each time I would get a little younger and a little younger. I didn't grow up here, yet I can smell that air and feel that sun on my back two states away, so it's got to be some sort of home to me.

But my grandfather passed away days before I took these. And now those fields will never look the same to me again. I wanted to share the photos, but something held me back. Was it shame for feeling such contentedness so soon after my grandpa's passing? Oh, now you think you can own this land, Kateri? Now you chose to share it with the rest of the world?

So I forgot about it, or I made myself forget about it. But of course the thought wouldn't go away. Because I wanted to share the photos. Not many would see them anyway. And I was really growing to love them. They were mine to share. And maybe I don't like to share grief...but I like to share happiness.

Those fields will never be the same again. They are too dear to me now to ever be the same.

Happy Choices
Happy Freedoms
And happy Distances

*That means you and your mom should see it. Together. **
**Can I get more obvious?***
***Or any mother figure.

So Much to Celebrate!

This time of year there is a lot to celebrate, and that's exactly what my family and I did this past couple of days!

It was my parent's anniversary on Thursday!

This was a trip we took as a family to Santa Cruz. Not exactly a romantic getaway for them, but don't they look happy?

They've been happily married for 26 years now. I'm so lucky to have them!

And it was a Happy Birthday for my little Banana and my not so little Lantern!

12 & 15!

15 seems like a big deal to me. All of a sudden the little brother who used to call his trucks his "frucks" is going to be driving them around the big scary world instead.

Banana, who is turning 12, is going into junior high, and whoa is she going to have those boys running! I'm suggesting my dad learn how to use a rifle or at least how to make it go click, click all intimidating. I find myself having endless heart-to-hearts with her about ignoring what everyone else tells her she should do and what she should think. And oddly, she listens...

She's either truly taking it to heart or she doesn't feel like arguing with me.

And I don't think I mind either alternative.

Of course we fulfilled our tradition of Mr. T's donuts. Mmm, I can still taste the iced cakey sprinkled morsels and the soft buttery croissants! Tastes like birthdays of old.

And some more pictures from our day. Did I mention it was the day after my parent's anniversary too? And on top of that, Banana and Lantern are exactly three years apart, born coincidentally on the same day. Gee, so many coincidences as well as celebrations.

And of course it WOULD NOT be a proper birthday celebration under my roof if there were no cake! That's five candles on top and two on bottom if you didn't catch my drift.

Happy Last Week of June!

Happy Reasons to Celebrate!

Happy Reasons Not to Celebrate...and celebrating anyway!

;)

A Week in Pictures

So I had to take a little while longer than usual of a break from blogging. I just was soooooo busy...
Ok I wasn't really that busy. More it was that I felt I really didn't have that much to blog about. Don't you hate that?
But after a whole week of simplicity I managed to actually come up with a week's worth collection of fun little instances.
And so here are those instances.
In high quality pixel form.
:D

Moday,

Organized my bookshelf! The two top shelves are mine and the bottom three, of which you can't all see, are my little sister's. Don't let that fool you; I am the rightful book fanatic of the entire family. I actually have so many books that the overflow, of which I have all already read, are hidden in a box in my garage, which I don't want to talk about because it pains me greatly.

Anyway.

You can see my to-read stack by looking at the top shelf and going from left to right (half of these are not mine but my better bookish half's, Emily Sterner--previously mentioned on previous post).

Tuesday,

Went to see Snow White and the Huntsman, which I've really been looking forward to. And I was not disappointed! For me, definately a But It movie.

And...I fell in love with Sam Claflin again. As I also did in Pillars of the Earth, which I recommend, and the last Pirates movie. *

I went home and bought this song on itunes. I fell in love with it instantly in the movie, such a great cry-so-hard-because-whoa-I-didn't-see that-one-coming part. Not to give anything away hopefully...

I've been writing to this music ever since. And a couple other ones from the soundtrack as well: Sanctuary and White Horse, both equally enchanting!

Wednesday,

Speaking of enchanting...

Went to see these boys in concert in San Jose...

Ok, I didn't actually see them, but I was there outside the event center and my friends went. You see, they wouldn't have been able to go if they hadn't won the tickets and I'm so very happy that they did because they are the girls who turned me onto them before they were big here in the states, which makes me feel a little less silly in liking them so much. I seriously could go on...and on about how huge of a crush I have on them, but then I think I really would hate myself. I don't mind admitting my love for them, but my college-level 19 year old self is sensitive to so much fangirl gloating, if you know what I mean.

But still, proof that I was there and that I had fun! The girls in the center got to go, though you can probably tell without me saying anything.



Thursday,

Bought this album for my dad. I love We Are Young, but my favorite on the album is Carry On.

Re-read this book, which is one of my favorites because it's an alien book about humans. Apparently they finally made the movie, which I was concerned about, which you would totally understand if you read the book, but then I found out Saoirse Ronan was playing the main character and I felt better. Because she got nominated for an Oscar and the same thing happened with Jennifer Laurence and she kicked ass as Katniss.

:)

Friday,

...uh it was Friday. I didn't do anything.

Satuday,











Went to paint pottery with my dad and my cousin as a start to Father's Day weekend!

We Ransoms sure can get in tough with our cretive sides! We kind of just sat there all day, hardly saying anything, and made these  very intense faces at our blank canvases as we gave them our own life and personality. I can't wait till mine is ready to pick up!

Melissa and I made vases. Of course Melissa's has a Hello Kitty painted on the otherside. She's the real artist in the family.

Sunday,

Father's Day!!!

I didn't get to do as much cooking for my dad as I'd have liked, but we still had a great time. Those pancakes we made together outside and they are a family novelty, ones that I grew up with and I love them so much. I also made a peach and cornbread trifle, which was really good, especially if you like desserts that aren't overly sweet. Seriously, cornbread, peaches, whipped cream with vanilla, three layers, try it!

We bought dad a set of airplane and truck (which looked like trains when I ordered them but if you squint it's easy to pretend) pancake molds. Fitting right?

So I had thought my life had gotten a bit boring lately, but looking at this it's not doing too bad, eh?

Happy Father's Day past.

Happy Monday.

Happy fun weeks anew, especially the ones that are funner than you anticipated!

*Sigh**

**Heart palpitations.





June Outings

It's JUUUUUUUUNE!
It's a birthday month for my family!
And it's twice the joy because both my little sibs have a birthday this month. And actually, it's on the same day, even though they're years apart! Trippy, huh?
I've got some fun things happening right now. I'm working with the coolest kids at my church for one week of Vacation Bible School! Our theme is Operation Overboard (so undersea adventure type stuff) and I am hoping to do a lot of fun things for it...like maybe wearing goggles or a snorkle!
I unleash my inner kid with stuff like this.
And it is so satisfying!
I kicked off the month of June with a SUPER fun day bike riding downtown with two of my favorite people on the planet. By best friend Emily and my cousin Melissa.

It is tradition for me to get a couple honey sticks whenever I go to the farmer's market. I suggest you try it :)

Made a necklace while Melissa made a charm bracelet at Beads of Contentment. I love that place! Though we call it "The BEAD store!". That's my "I'm a Hot Mess" t-shirt (with pancakes!) that I got from a store in San Francisco and my Texas shorts...so called by Emily because the white splotches look like the state of Texas.*

At the farmer's market I got some artichokes and tried to put the hearts raw and shaved thinly into my spinach and mint salad (the recipe called for arugula, but the store was out!) but even my years of teaching myself to cook were not a testament to my artichoke preparation abilities. That and the directions were a bit confusing in my opinion. Better try again.

Pasta was delectable! Especially since I added way more cheese than the recipe called for (plus some extra mascarpone, which Raley's now carries. yay!) What's not better with MORE cheese?*

Oddly, I am posting in the beggining of June...yet it's quite drizzly outside. Really, I think it's a nice break from all the recent heat. We Californians need babysteps sometimes.

Happy June!

Happy Birthday Summer!

*Yes, my friends are creative genuises.

**ok now, that was a rhetorical question.