Can ya take it?

After our Halloween Carnival Ben and I and two of our friends in the ward all watched "Signs". It's a scary movie that I've already seen, and it ends well so that I can still sleep at night, so I thought I'd be just fine. Well, I was better than with any other scary movie, but I did make a big discovery. I'm afraid of the music. I was taking the movie just fine, and even when it got intense I knew exactly what was going to come on the screen, but with my eyes covered I knew that when I heard the music intensify that the picture in my mind of what was happening on the screen was coming true. Then I remembered something I learned at EFY (@ SUU). In one of our classes our teacher talked about how music effects (perhaps affects) us. He showed a clip from Jurassic Park, where the kids are hiding from the raptors in the kitchen. Of course the music got scary and intensified at the scary parts, and we could all feel the mood in the room had changed somewhat. Then he played the same scene but with a funny old, cheesy song. I think it was My Little Buttercup, and it was hilarious!!! Everyone was cracking up watching these raptors trying to be scary while something like, be my darling, was playing in the background. Music makes a mood, it can also help make certain thoughts. That's why we have to be careful to what we're listening to, some stuff can really get into your head.

What's funny is that after the movie was over everyone was kinda like "Yeah, I don't really like scary movies." It's just not my thing to be creeped out. Then I have that image of the alien hunched over, everytime I turn the light off. I know it's just a movie, but as I heard once, which I also believe, is that artist's have intensified (sorry I keep using that word) imagination and emotion. When it comes to sympathy or empathy it can be really very helpful, but it's also a curse. I can imagine things so clearly sometimes that I can get my mind to really think it's real and get my blood pumping. So, from now on I'm not going ot waste my time with scary movies. I like when I feel safe in the dark. ; )

~Crystal

All Hallows Eve

Ben and I decided to go Colonial this Halloween. Early American life is something he really enjoys, and I already kind of had a dress for it. Actually it's a dress that I made for a costume design class I took some years back. It's really supposed to be for French Revolution time period, but that style kind of hung around for a while, so it kinda goes.



When we got to our ward Halloween Carnival we realized that we accidentally came, not as colonial people, but as Beauty and the Beast (beast after transformation). :)

This is a pic of me, Laura, and Susan (from the office).
Laura was totally 70's (she's wearing a wig) (on the left), and Susan was totally 80's with all her own origional 80's stuff (scented swatch, double socks, tennis shoes, spin art t-shirt, etc). All three of us went out to lunch to Sweet Tomatoes (in downtown Phoenix), and we were the only ones dressed up! Plus, everyone there was like a serious business person, so we kinda got looks, but it was fun to be their entertainment. I love dressing up!!!



Hope you all had a great Halloween!

~Crystal

An American President

So, of course I'm disappointed. I would much rather have a Republican in office, but to tell you the truth I didn't really want McCain either. But still I'd rather McCain over Obama. Well, that's that. We now have new President, and since he is our President (soon), I still have respect for him. Here are things that I think are things to admire him for. He is very charismatic and that could be great for foreign affairs, he is sincere in his beliefs (maybe they're not my beliefs) but he's sincere about it. He is for helping Darfur, and has been for years before the election. And I'm sure there are many other great qualities that will help him lead the country. Congrats Obama, and good luck!

~Crystal