Projects

So I have been working on some projects these last couple of weeks. And so here is some evidence.

 Here is a set of 8 by 7 feet shelves, that we made and put into the wall. And it's all filled up already.

 Here is a set of curtains that I made. The top of the window is a half circle and thus is not conducive for shades so we made curtains. I kind of wish I had made them a little longer.

I have also been doing some drawing and some writing. 

PS. I decided to do this post with lots of pictures because I haven't had any pictures for a while so yeah. There it is.

Prejudice

If someone you knew, and cared about, walked up and seriously said one of the three things below, which would be most offensive?
a) I hate your shoes, they are such an ugly shade of mahogany.
b) Your personality rubs me the wrong way, and really I just can't stand you.
c) I don't agree with your beliefs. They just don't make sense.

Think about it. Obviously these are somewhat generic insults but I tried to make them fundamentally different.
Prejudice exists. And here I am talking mostly about the US, because after all that is where I have had experience (and in other places and times I think the ideas I'm expressing are somewhat irrelevant because of the magnitude of the prejudices involved). Some people treat other races with great injustice and contempt. Others don't believe that women, or men, are capable or qualified. Anyway. There are lot's of forms of prejudice, I guess I don't need to list them all. But now back to the original question. Did you decide which is most offensive? Personally I would say answer b. The one that takes in you, you and only you. Just like the boy, Hiccup, from How to Train Your Dragon, who several times is told "You should change that." And he answers "What? You just gestured to all of me."
Which is not to say slights about personal beliefs or your favorite sport, hobby, or clothing are not taken personally at times. But the thing is I think it is easier to think that people pick on me because I'm a girl (I can't help that) or LDS (me and quite a few other people) then to know that they just don't like me as a person. Because if you accept that they really don't like you for you, then you are left with three options 1) punch them in the face 2) ignore the taunt or 3) realize that it might have some validity and take ownership of the imperfections it pointed out to you. Basically, I think it is far easier to blame other people's unpleasant behavior towards you on some prejudice that they hold, instead of realizing that you aren't perfect. For instance, "they didn't hire me because I'm a girl," instead of "they didn't hire me because I'm a slacker."
But then again I'm a privileged white girl what do I know.

Face Stealer

Flitting into the kitchen I interrupted my mom and her friend as they were talking. "Can we go play in the stream?" 

"Why don't you play on the trampoline instead," my Mom answered as she stirred the tomato sauce on the stove. 

I frowned but turned towards the door. 

"You know," my Mom's friend said as her own kids came tailing after me "You look like your sister, but you have your brother's facial expressions." 

"Uh, OK," and then I escaped out the door, my friends in tow.

* * * 

Laughter filled the little bedroom. I couldn't stop, and I wasn't the only one. We had been laughing at a story, but as I continued laughing I couldn't help notice our laughs.

I lay on the bottom bunk of a bunkbed in a little room. On the top bunk, and on the mattress set on the ground against the wall were my two companions. I was serving a mission for my church, and was living and working with two other women 24/7. Literally.

The Sister on the mattress on the floor turned to me. Despite the darkness I could tell. "Are you laughing for the same reason I am?" 

I nodded, still laughing, hearing the way our laughs had become almost indistinguishable. I had been working with her for about four months. 

"Your laugh is the same as mine."

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

This is just two examples of one of my quirks. I copy people, not on purpose, but I do. Thankfully, I am far more likely to do it with people that I like, and am around a lot. But if I don't like them I am far less likely to do it. This is very convenient because I have very little control over it. Sometimes, I make a facial expression,  and I am struck that it is not my own. Usually I can pinpoint who's it is. A roommate, a friend, a sibling. "I just stole your face." I tell them. And then I have to explain, and they always ask "Which one?" Disappointingly I can rarely tell them because my face may know how to do it, but I don't know how to explain it. It's really an odd sensation. Like the example above, I have done it with my laugh, but only that once (it makes me wonder who's laugh do I have?). But I also sometimes do it with phrases that another person uses, although I think that is fairly common, and once in a while a gesture. Because of this I think I am also more aware of other peoples facial expressions, and on occasion I have noticed other people do it, mostly when they are siblings.

One of my brothers called me Koh, the face stealer from Avatar (a monster who steals faces). I hope mine isn't quite as offensive.