Table For One

Well guys, I'm done blogging on Tell After Tale. It's been fun, but I've started a new blog. If you care to follow its address is jessicajoye.blogspot.com. Thanks for reading (mom)!

Music 2013

     2013 was a great year of music for me. I came across music that was new to me, but not necessarily new. I went to some awesome concerts. I learned some new musical skills. I got a new guitar and headphones. And a lot of the music released in 2013 was fantastic. For this post, I'm focusing on what was released. I'm going to try and narrow it down since there was a lot I liked, so here's my top ten listened to in no particular order.


Black Bear (Album) - Andrew Belle

I was definitely in anticipation for this album. I've liked Andrew Belle for awhile and had been ready for some new music. This album was pretty different from his other music and I love it just as much or more. Perfect for a rainy drive.







When It was now (Album)  - Atlas Genius

I saw Atlas Genius when then were on tour with Imagine Dragons. I've only listened to two of their songs, "If So" and "Trojans". Not sure why I haven't checked out the rest, but now I will.

 





Haunt EP/Bad Blood (Album) - Bastille

I first heard Bastille when their song, "Pompeii",  was iTunes' single of the week. I've loved them ever since. I bought their Haunt EP right away and was ecstatic to hear they would be releasing Bad Blood. It met my expectations completely.




Hold On (Single) - Colbie Callait

I always like listening to her because her music is happy. This song is super catchy and a little bit of a change up for her which I always appreciate from artists.









 Halcyon Days (Album) - Ellie Goulding

I have to say, when I first heard Ellie I didn't like her. I had the opportunity to go to her concert though and after hearing her live I became a fan. I love her album, "Halcyon", and most of the songs on, "Lights". This album, "Halcyon Days", is my least favorite and I don't love it all. "Burn", "Hearts Without Chains", and "Goodness Gracious", were my favorite from this one. "Burn" came out as a single before this album and it is one of my favorite songs she has.






Fire Escape (Album) - Imaginary Friend (Future)

I love, love, love Imaginary Friend, now called Imaginary Future. So pretty and so soothing.










 Brave (Single) - Sara Bareilles

Gotta love her and rightfully on the charts. I love the lyrics and it is very catchy and makes you want to smile.








 Monster (Single) - Imagine Dragons

I can't even tell you how excited I was for this song to come out. I love them and I've been waiting to see what direction their music would go next. I LOVE this song. I always get nervous to hear new music from my favorite artists and am thrilled when it meets my expectations. I am getting the vibe from their tweets that they're working on a new album so keep an eye out. And let's not forget how incredible they are live.










We Ride (Single) - Missy Higgins

GORGEOUS. My anticipation for this song was the same as Imagine Dragons'. I had a countdown. When I listened to it, I didn't stop listening to it. I hit replay through almost the entire night. I love it and it even contends with her song, "Warm Whispers", as my favorite.








Paramore (Self-Titled Album) - Paramore

So, I haven't listened to them in awhile. I had a major Paramore streak and then I guess I got listening to other music. Well, say hello to that streak again. I LOVE this album and have been listening to it nonstop. They are so ridiculously good. I think so at least. This album is my favorite album by far. I love the lyrics, instrumentation, and her voice is insane. I love it all. If you only like softer music listen to their song, "Hate To See Your Heart Break". It is sooo good.        



     There's a little music rant for ya. I can't wait to hear all the new music in 2014. If you have any music, new or old that you love let me know or send it over Spotify.

From A Distance

   

     Awhile ago, I had a day of travel to myself. It was a day I won't forget. I'm not sure why but I felt such a sense of freedom. I guess I was doing something that would have scared me in the past but had become something I enjoy. Having time by myself is something I've always needed and enjoyed, I just didn't realize traveling alone would be included in that. 

     My layover was in Chicago. I've never been there or even thought about it. The plane gently lowered over the city, giving me the perfect view.  We skimmed the air over the skyscrapers, and dipped over the little towns of Illinois. The Great Lakes were overwhelming and I giggled to myself as a kid behind me buzzed about their size, because I felt the same way. The immensity of the world is always surprising to me. I can't imagine seeing it as a whole. The puzzle pieces I have seen touch every corner of my mind and I can't picture there being more, but there is. There's always so much more.

     I found myself falling in love from a distance. I couldn't help but smile as we touched down. It was such a shocking feeling. Minutes before looking out the window I was absorbed in a book and was ready to stretch out my legs. I had no idea that I was about to be taken back, once again, by the beautiful world that God has created. My testimony of His love for us and His hand in my life expands all the time. When I least expect it, I'm touched and changed by the simple and significant moments of this wonderful life he has blessed me with. I sat by these two guys on the plane and their chatter felt so distance, muffled. I was absorbed in this private moment. It almost felt selfish not telling them about what was happening. And I smiled to myself about how such a brief, maybe even silly moment had touched me in such a way.

    After experiencing this, I've recognized how I've fallen in love with multiple things from a distance throughout my life. Music, as the sound of a guitar hummed through the walls of my house growing up. Writing, as I watched Anne Shirley walk through fields reciting poems. Nauvoo, as I listened to my childhood best friend describe it me time and time again. Some things haven't been too far away, but just out of reach whether the reach has been time, ability, or travel. 

    I hope I'll get to walk the streets of Chicago someday. Maybe it will feel like the first time I wrote a song. The gap between me and music closed and my guitar and my words became my support. Maybe it will feel like going to Nauvoo after imagining it for years. Its golden sunlight and the sacrifice of the Saints soaked into each inch of the city will stick with me forever. I find myself falling in love with things from a distance all the time. Whether I get to collide with them or not, I'm grateful for the spark it ignites within me. There are sparks everywhere. God's blessings are everywhere. Let the unexpected capture you and just hold it. Let the little moments become significant and use their hope. There's so much to love even from no distance at all. 

Instilled

    The places I've been, the people I've met or merely seen, and the experiences I've had are completely instilled in me. Completely rooted into my soul. My blood will never flow the same way again. I've been so humbled by the light, inspiration, and change I've felt. These last few months have been a whirlwind of change. Change of scenery, change of heart, a change of self.
     New York has renewed me. History is the mortar of the buildings. The trees are lined with age and expand over each rolling hill. I love the bridges over the Hudson and the view of the mural in downtown Troy. Tight streets and cobblestone roads. Timeless buildings laced with immaculate molding and dusted with time. When we first flew in, it was dark so we couldn't see much but the buildings and houses caught me immediately. And when the sun came out the next day, the trees captured me. I've always had a thing for trees.
     I've always loved traveling. I got that from my dad. What I didn't know is how much I would love living somewhere else. Utah has my heart but I've now felt my heart opening up and being scattered across the country. It started in Troy and Albany and extended to New York City and then Vermont. It's like breathing a new lifestyle and seeing with new eyes. My life has needed a change and although it can be hard, it's coming so sweetly.
     My dad and I went to New York City in September and I was a little nervous. I don't like to feel trapped or be in too much noise. It sounded like the worst combination of both. We rode the train in. It rocked its way down the Hudson River, skimming past the trees, and exposing glances of ferry boats and bridges. My heart fluttered the whole way. Walking up the stairs to see the city was something I'll never forget. The rush of noises came and hit me like a wave music. Huge buildings; old mixed with the new. A diversity of people walking together down the streets of one of the most famous cities. I fell in love with it instantly. I liked being in the crowds of people. There seemed to be a sort of privacy about it and a freedom of self. Having my dad next to me made it that much sweeter.
     We went on a bus tour and I couldn't stop smiling anywhere we went. I love the colorful buildings in SoHo, the flat iron, the Empire State Building, Time's Square, Rockerfeller, small bakeries, the yellow bursts of taxi cabs. In the city of giants I found quaintness and those small breaths encircled me. Time's Square was enchanting to me. Me and my dad stumbled upon it and I liked it but later that night we went back and it was completely mesmerizing. We sat on the steps and I just looked and the gob of people together. Such a quiet in so much sound. So many different people with different lives, talents, challenges, homes, families, and memories, all together, happy to be in this place at that moment. It was beautiful to me. I could go on about New York City for days. About sipping cocoa with dad, about the perfect warmth held in-between the buildings, and so much more. I will never forget that experience and the feelings I had. I'm so grateful to have shared that with my dad.
     About a month later, me, Danny, Michelle, and the twins headed to Vermont. I've always wanted to go there along with New Hampshire (not yet checked off my bucket list). It was so much more than I anticipated. So opposite of New York City, but just as special. There are the tiniest changes in landscape as you go, but Vermont has its own spirit. So quaint and so pretty. Not to mention that the leaves had burst with color. Reds, oranges, and golds I had never seen before. I love the run-down buildings, the gorgeous houses tucked into the brush, and oh, the churches. We drove through a little town that is like the real Christmas Village. People were wandering from shop to shop and people were sitting at tables sipping tea in the chill of fall. I don't know why but the cherry on top was the chalkboard signs that read, "Hot Apple Cider". I have never been somewhere so charming. I'm not sure there's anything that goes wrong in Vermont.
     This last week we were able to go back to visit and it was decorated for Christmas. We went and strolled through the little Christmas Village town and I felt its charm all over again. The Christmas decorations definitely took it to another level that my heart almost couldn't handle. And tomorrow I get to go back to New York City. Since I've grown up watching Miracle on 34th Street I've wanted to see it around Christmas time. That dream is about to come true and I am so excited. I'm so blessed to be having this experience and seeing all of theses places. I'm especially grateful to be experiencing it with my sister and her husband. They are two of my best friends. They have opened up their lives to me and their home. It feels like my home too now and even though I love all of the places I've visited, this little, yellow house in Troy is my favorite.
     All of this has made me appreciate my life, my family, and all I have been given. It's also brought so much realization and clarity. I can become whoever I want to be. I don't have to feel afraid. I can do hard things. Family and home is in the ones you love. And there is always hope.


   

Pajama Sunday

     General Conference has always been very near and dear to my heart. I remember always being excited to wake up on "pajama sunday" with my mom making my favorite breakfast, avlesceevers. All the siblings around the table with tussled hair, making powdered sugar canals to hold the syrup to dip the little pancake balls in. Fluffy sugar on our faces, pjs, and plenty of blankets to go around we would all pile in the living room to watch our apostles and prophets speak.
     When I was little I'm sure I would relate the special feeling of Conference to a belly full of breakfast and being able to wear pajamas all day. Now that I'm older I clearly know that the joy I felt was the love of our Savior and the love of family. I have been so blessed to be apart of such a bonded family and to be a member of the church. My parents have invited the spirit into our home and during Conference every six months the spirit is overflowing. General Conference is a holiday to me. It is full of love, truth, and family. It's being in the home in warm little bubble with my eternal family, protected from the world.
     This year, I'm 2,000 miles away from home, but I still feel the warmth of my family and home. I'm so thrilled that I get to be apart of such a worldwide family as well and that we are all united twice a year to hear from our leaders. The tenderness of Conference spreads across the globe to all of my brothers and sisters that are watching and it makes me smile to know that we all have the opportunity to feel of our Heavenly Father's love for us. Tomorrow we get to hear how we can be a little better and will be inspired to work a little harder. We are able to grow closer to Christ and begin again. So, I hope you'll join us and come listen to the living prophets.