Mumford and Sons Adventures

Someone once told me that college is a time to have wonderful adventures. This past Sunday was definitely  a memorable one! Back in August, Holly, Jeremy Caty and Matt (4 of my closest friends at Whitworth) and I all got tickets to go see one of our new favorite bands Mumford and Sons in Seattle. The plan was to leave Saturday afternoon stay the night, have the day to walk around Seattle, go to the concert, hop in the car and head back to Spokane. Well it turns out that Jeremy had a mandatory leadership retreat and wouldn't be back until 12:00 on Sunday afternoon.  By the time Jeremy got back it was close to 1 and the doors opened at 6:30. We squished into Holly's little car and headed west on I90. The clouds were big and dark with bits of pink and it had just rained, and all the leaves were at their peak for color. Snoqualmie pass was incredible, the clouds were low mingling with the pines and patches of bright golden trees and the tops of the mountains were covered in fresh snow.. Needless to say it was a gorgeous drive, with good conversation, laughter and great music (seeing as it was my ipod that was playing!)

When we got to Seattle we enjoyed delicious Chipotle (which we don't have in Spokane!) had trouble figuring out which of the 7 Starbuck's we should buy our coffee from and then stood in line awaiting our first Mumford concert.  

We were relatively close to the front of the line, which put us standing about 7 rows back from the stage. A guy called King Charles was the first to open. The only way that I could think to describe him is a reggae Captain Jack Sparrow. Lyrically he put together some beautiful poetic songs. He just played the guitar and sang. He was obviously not the most talented musician at the Paramount that night but his lyrics and dress were interesting enough to keep everyone entertained. Next came Mt. Desolation a somewhat alternative country band that was decently good, but King Charles was far more interesting to listen to.

For the main event...Mumford and Sons. What a show! Really. It was phenomenal! I have been listening to MaS for over a year now and I find I become more interested in their music the more and more I listen to them. Hearing them live was definitely a treat! However I must admit I was a bit nervous that they wouldn't be as good live. Anytime I watched Youtube videos they seemed really pitchy and just not as good as the recording for their album, but it was far from that at this show. 

They opened with their album title song the beautiful Sigh No More, and followed with most of the rest of their songs with a few new ones thrown in there. Lover of the light was a stunning song with Marcus Mumford (as the lead singer) at the drums. They played another song they just wrote on the road a couple of months ago. They said they were doing a show two nights in a row and on the second day when they were practicing, they were messing around and came up with a beautiful harmony filled song. They still don't have a name for it, but I'm hoping they decide to record it! 

It's hard to pinpoint which songs were the 'best' ... they were all fantastic and each one filled with energy. There were times when mic stands fell over and sweat was flying... they have real passion for what they were singing about.  Standing in a huge (beautiful) theater with hundreds of strangers all singing the same melodies, the same powerful (and spiritual) lyrics with a powerful band at the leading at the front was quite the experience.

We jumped back into the car around 11:45, and started back on the road. We tried to sleep, but sleep wasn't so kind to us all squished in the back and filled with the events of the night, so by the time we pulled into Whitworth around 4:30 we were quite exhausted. The next few days were a little choppy with lots of homework and little sleep... but all worth it! I can't wait till Mumford comes back to the Northwest! 

A Few Of My Favorite Smells

A little while back I mentioned that I was going to share a few lists of my favorite things. Well a test here, an art project there and time starts to disappear faster than you can believe. So for the record, I haven't forgotten, I've just been... well doing a lot of school work.

So to start...  LIST # 1: SMELLS ... smells for me (and I'm assuming most other people) evoke incredible memories. Nostalgia rises deep within my stomach and it reminds me that there are things not always seen, but yet so incredibly real. These are a few smells I've come to deeply appreciate!

10.  The smell anytime I walk into my house and my mom is cooking... if you've ever been over for dinner you know what I'm talking about!
9. Smell of the inside of a tent
8. Smell of the forest
7. Sweet smell of hay
6. Smell of fresh bread/rolls baking
5. Smell of mint fields in Wallowa County
4. Smell right after it rains
3. Smell of pipe tobacco
2. Smell of the ocean in the north coast of N.I.
1. Smell of a beautifully brewed cup of Peets Coffee

Feel free to share some of your favorite smells!

Shots from NI and CZ

Here are a few of my more artistic shots from this past summer spent in Northern Ireland and the Czech Republic. 

 

October 1...

October 1. Today started with an alarm... ring ring ring...time for class I guess. A new month. Another day. Another chance to breath, another day to feel the penetrating sun on my skin, another day to know that despite the evil in this world, there is good, there is true and there is beautiful. I can see it in people I come into contact with every day. I can hear it in music, I can see it in the changing colors of the leaves…it’s written everywhere. God’s image. His fingerprints are everywhere! However sometimes I find it at the most unexpected times… maybe I should open my eyes more often?

Today I went on a bus ride for a printmaking assignment. Bus rides are not something new to me. I eagerly look forward to them just for the sheer knowledge of knowing I won’t know what to expect. Every time it’s different. This time I got to sit next to a face I see everyday in the cafeteria; a guy who works at Whitworth washing dishes for a living. He gets up early; buses to work and back home again. I think he has some sort of disability, I’m not exactly sure what, maybe a form of cerebral palsy…anyway he wouldn’t be one that people would normally just strike up a conversation with. However, we did start talking and I was amazed at what simple joys he took from everyday life. He’s not in a rush to get to the next thing, to climb the next step…he lives. EACH DAY. And he lives each day finding jewels in car jokes, playing electric guitar and washing dishes. His laugh is contagious and real. Jeff (dishwasher guys name) taught me about be thankful for each day, for being thankful for what I have. 

This little bus ride had three other interesting characters I met (on the way back) but it’s to late to write about them now. They too had the Fingerprints all over them…even if they knew it or not.

There are so many faces in this world, so many numbers. But today I was reminded that there are stories behind each one. Beautiful stories, sad stories, frightful stories, and lovely stories… how dare I see ‘just another face in the crowd’ sitting next to me…I am reminded of something C.S. Lewis said in The Weight of Glory,

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare…There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal…But it’s immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit-immortal horrors or everlasting splendorous…next to the blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holies object presented to your senses.”

Jeff the dishwasher