FIGHTING FOR PROP 8, By Austin M. (English Narrative Essay)

In the state-wide election on November 4, 2008 the voters of the state of California had some very important propositions before them, as well as voting for the President of the United States. One of those propositions that was very important to me personally, was proposition eight. This proposition, if approved, would change the California Constitution by stating that only marriage between a man and woman would be valid and recognized in the state of California. If proposition eight did not pass, gay marriages would continue to be performed in California and eventually children could be taught in school that it is all right for two men or two women to marry. My goal was to help save traditional marriage and help Proposition eight to pass.

On a Saturday in early October, my mom had joined up with some people who were demonstrating for the “Yes on 8” campaign on a busy intersection in our city. She called home and told me how many teenagers my age were out there with her. She described getting so much positive support from the people in their cars and asked me to come out there and join her. At first, I did not really want to go because I wondered what the people who were voting “No on 8” do? After giving it some thought, I decided to go because I quickly realized that my friends were out there with her, and I could not let them down.

When we arrived at Milliken and Fourth St., I could see everyone from my church group including my friends. As the first few cars and trucks roared by, I was amazed by the drivers’ reactions as their faces glowed with excitement to see our “Yes on Prop 8” signs. They immediately slammed their hands on their car horns, causing a long block wall of sound as they traveled through the intersection. However, every once in a while there would be a car filled with “No on 8” supporters who would “flip us off” or “give us the bird” and that would cause me to be filled with energy. My immediate reaction was to say, “Yeah! We’re number one!” I was able to gather some of my other friends for the next weekend, and we would have an even bigger crowd, and even more honks and cheers as the weekends went by. People would even pull over by the side of the road and come join us. That really had me yelling loud, and trying to get people as excited as my group and I were.

After those days on the intersection, I was confident that we were going to win the election. Just to be sure, I stopped by the “Yes on 8” campaign headquarters on the day of the election. Even though I was too young to vote, I was fighting to protect traditional marriage and wanted to do everything I could. I asked for a calling list and began making phone calls on my cell phone. I was asking people if they had voted yet, and if not I was explaining to them about Proposition 8 and reminding them that there was still time for them to get out and vote. Before I knew it, I had gone through about eight lists with twenty-five phone numbers on each. In spite of the fact that I could only leave a message at half of the homes I called, I still gave it my all right down to minutes before the close of the election. Then we waited.

As we all gathered around the plasma screen with the numbers glowing and changing right before our eyes, we waited anxiously for the results on Proposition 8. Hours later, the numbers seemed to show that we had won and all of our efforts did not go to waste. I learned that even teenagers who are too young to vote can make a difference. This experience really helped me build up confidence in myself, as I had opportunities to share my beliefs with my friends and answer their questions as to what Proposition 8 was all about. If the fight to protect traditional marriage ever came up again, I would apply everything I learned and double my effort.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I'm thankful for:

1. 1. My husband and children
2. 2. Cars that run.
3. 3. A roof over our heads.
4. 4. A clean bill of health.
5. My mom and dad and brothers and sisters.
6. The Lord to guide all my steps.
7. A body that can walk, see, hear like it's supposed to.
8. My husband's job
9. Fun times with the kids
10. Watching a good movie all together.
11. My job
12. My children's patience and love.
13. Good books to read.
14. All my children's teachers and their example to them.
15. Family traditions.
16. Children and what they teach me.
17. The chance to get a good education.
18. Nights out with Mark.
19. Grammy & Papa
20. Grandma & Grandpa Stoddart
21. My mom's deep interest in genealogy that lit the candle of my interest too.
22. A temple close-by.
23. Quiet times on the beanbag chair reading Nancy Drew to Ressa & Melody.
24. Antibiotics
25. Quiet neighbors
26. Christmas lights
27. Peace and joy and love, as much as we can have it!

PROP 8 IS A FAMILY AFFAIR...

There I am, spending two hours out there from 10:30-12:30pm today, waving and defending prop 8 to support marriage between a man and a woman. As I explained to one young man passing by who questioned me about why I was doing this, "God set up marriage. People can't just take a poll or a vote and if they get enough people on their side, make it into something else. God started marriage, it's His institution. If people want to change it, they'll have to take it up with Him. But the way it's going, they'll have it turned into a 3-ring circus if we allow this to continue to veer away from anything other than 1man and 1 woman." This young 18-19 yr old guy then ran about 20 ft from me and turned to yell back at me "NO on PROP 8!" I laughed at how he had to get just far enough away first. One of Joey's friend's was clever and came up with the idea that everytime somebody gives us the finger, we begin chanting, "WE'RE #1! WE'RE #1!" It was quite an experience. For every 10 or so honks in support, there was somebody nasty rolling down there window yellow something we usually couldn't understand. There was a Middle Eastern man in his mid-50s driving a Porsche, making a turn who nearly crashed trying to manuever the turn, honk his horn, and maintain a "thumbs up" the whole time. CAN'T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN!!! Mark was a real trooper too! That was a fun banner to hold, it just

made your arms sore after a while. Another guy, Ryan Blocker, (very funny)

who was out there said, "do you think it would help if I took my shirt off??" We all

laughed. Austin had the loudest, booming voice out there everytime somebody honked in support. Joey and friends showed up and devoted about 45 minutes to the cause. They were a riot! (From l to r: Joey, Helaman, Zach, Austin,

Randy, Kelsey, and Abby all friends from church.)

You get somebody who honks or gives a thumbs up in support

and the kids go wild!

There's how one of our corners looked most days this past week (so I'm told) and

how it will look nearly everyday until the election.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARK!

Homecoming Dance at Dixie College

Does Joey look happy or what???!!! He is truly having a wonderful time up there---from his job to school to spending time with Karina....he is really enjoying life. He is working 3 hrs a day at an intermediate school with 750 8th & 9th graders in St. George. Joey is now officially employed in the same job as I am: Instructional Aide-Special Day Class or (SDC) as they call it. He is working with a couple autistic boys around 13 yrs old. He says he loves it and finds it very easy to get the "non-verbal" autistic kids to talk to him. When a woman came in to the principal asking for a recommendation for a math tutor for her handicapped 11th grade daughter, he said Joey would be his choice. The mother was concerned about not wanting to "short-change" Joey at all, and wants to pay him $20/hr for the tutoring. He's pretty happy about that, a couple times a week!

He's down to 11 units just to make it bearable. I never expected keeping over 15 units was going to work out, but we had to try. He's now taking Writing, Writing Lab, Computer Information Systems (online), and pre-calculus. He goes to Institute, I think on Wednesday nights, to family home evening group on Monday nights, and will be here this weekend from Wednesday night through Sunday afternoon. I'd like to plan a get-together Saturday while he's here to celebrate Mark's birthday and any other October birthdays we might have??? Have a good week everybody. Enjoy the great pictures he and Karina took before the dance last night....

Recognizing the Differences in Art from the High Renaissance and Art from the Mannerism Period

This is just some more fascinating art history stuff. This was my fourth written assignment I've had to write out of the total of 18 that I must have completed by December 8th. Time management is crucial. The professor said my other three write-ups were lacking in detail about the paintings. So, I tried to really look carefully at these for awhile until I noticed more and more details that I could write about. This class is really making me want to visit Italy someday and see the originals. The professor says that the painter Rafael was such a genius that when you view his original paintings there is no evidence of a single brush-stroke. You just see color. Here goes...

The “High Renaissance” period differs from the period of Mannerism in both years and painting styles. The High Renaissance in Italian art covers a period of time between the 1490s to approximately 1527, or the time of the Sack of Rome by the troops of Emperor Charles V.[1] The art during the High Renaissance was recognizably balanced and harmonious. An example of High Renaissance art that will be explored is The Small Cowper Madonna (c. 1505) by Rafaello Santi or Sanzio. Mannerism, on the other hand, was a term used to describe a time when artists works appeared more disjointed than balanced, and correlates directly to the political and social anxieties of the society at that time. A work of art characteristic of the Mannerism period with all the features typical of such is the Entombment (c. 1525-28) by Jacopo da Pontormo, and will be discussed below.

High Renaissance art was to represent the highest ideals in life. The mathematical perspectives were perfect. The subjects were featured as content and in harmony with the other subjects in the paintings. There was balance and clear margins between the focus of the art and the edge of the painting. No figures were ever cut-off at the edge or only partially shown. Every technique that improved upon the art that had gone before was incorporated to produce the highest idealistic art that could be created. This was the High Renaissance.

The work, The Small Cowper Madonna is a perfect representation of the harmony, balance, and peaceful contentment reflected in High Renaissance art. The Virgin mother’s mood is that of complete calm and serenity as she is seen with only one hand open and the child seated within it. Her four fingers make contact with the child and her thumb is extended further signifying her confidence in the ongoing embrace of the Child’s hand around her own neck. She shows no fear that the child will fall nor does she show doubt that he will loosen his grasp and leave her. The Virgin’s right hand exhibits no need for control over the child, but is laid palm-down and provides a gentle “step up.” The Child appears to move naturally closer to its mother to complete the embrace, and perhaps bring his sweet left hand around to meet his little right hand, around Mother’s neck. Though the Child appears to be moving, to add to the balance and harmony of the theme, both Mother and Child appear to have their eyes on the same subject. They are united in every way. They are clearly Mother and Child as they possess identical eye features and hair color. The artwork is natural and pleasant to look upon. The colors are complimentary, blend well, and are pleasing to the eye. These factors along with the dominant use of red and blue are very typical of the High Renaissance style.

Mannerism in Italian art lost all the balance and harmony of the High Renaissance period. Mannerism brought art with all of the opposite artistic principles seen in the High Renaissance art. The society was no longer in a state of peaceful contentment, but with the presence of chaos and unrest in everyday life, so also was chaos and unrest visible in the work of the artists. Mannerism was influenced by the attack on Rome as mentioned above, new outbreaks of the Plague, and the division between the followers of Martin Luther and those of the Roman Catholic Church which began the Reformation in October of 1527.[2] The stress and anxiety felt by citizens of that day concerned with fear for their lives, (whether from disease, war, or religious uprisings) is reflected by the artists. All of these concerns influenced the artists and produced a style described as Mannerism. “These so-called Mannerist painters used severe distortions of perspective and scale; complex and crowded compositions; strong, sometimes harsh or discordant colors; and elongated figures in exaggerated poses.”[3]

The Entombment, by Pontormo demonstrates the features of the Mannerism period. To begin with, the colors used are not complimentary. There are primary colors, as well as pastels and earth tones, all featured in the same work. Angels, which have previously been shown as gentle and fair and adorned in gold and white flowing apparel, are shown in this painting wearing a blue fabric with knots tied up in it. Harsh, blood-red pigment on what appears to be wings, on the angel on the left, are a great contrast to the angels seen in previous eras and styles, such as in Simone Martini’s The Annunciation (c. 1330). In the Entombment, some angels have veils, and some do not. The viewer assumes they are angels because of their presence at all different levels vertically (they appear to be “floating”) and the presence of some blue fabric on all of them which ties them all together chromatically. Some of the unsettling contrasts include the way that the clothing is shown as flowing while the boy’s clothing at the lower center is skin-tight. Part of the figures on both the left and right side of the painting are cut-off by the edge of the artwork, not seen in art of the high renaissance which features mathematical perspective to perfection. The art is unusually titled Entombment but features no cross and no tomb. Unlike previous artists’ renditions on the subject, Christ is not centered and the two figures holding his lifeless body (though they appear capable size-wise) are weighed down and halted, seemingly unable to carry his weight. This is a distraction to the theme of the death of Jesus Christ, and furthers adds to the chaotic lack of harmony within this work. There is confusion as to which figure is meant to be the Virgin mother, Mary. The viewer wants to focus in on the facial expressions of the Virgin mother, yet there are several figures that could be the mother. There is a female to the right of center who appears to be the mother and who is reaching. Yet, another figure at the top appears very characteristic of paintings of the Virgin mother, heavy with child. This adds to the confusion for there to appear a pregnant image at the top of the painting representing the time of Christ’s death. A mysterious and unsettling element is added with the one figure at the right, who has their back to the viewer, with the viewer unable to get any glimpse of their facial expression.

In conclusion, there are significant differences between the High Renaissance art and the Mannerism style of art. It is sad to imagine how such tremendous ideals of the High Renaissance could have been lost to the Mannerism period. As the stylistic changes in art correlated to the political and societal changes of the period, the viewer can only feel sympathy for the people of the time and what they must have had to endure.

[1] Stokstad, Marilyn, Art History, 3rd ed, Pearson Education, Inc..2008, Vol. 2, p. 662. [2] Internet source: http://www.angelo.edu/faculty/rprestia/1301/list_of_illustrations6.htm [3] Internet source: Boston College, http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/bar_bronz.html, November 27, 2006.

This Semester it's....Art History & Philosophy for me

My first big write-up was due for my online "art history 1400-present" class tonight. I had to read 25 pages and then write a 2 page "response" to the question: "What important factors led to the development of the emerging renaissance style?" Unfortunately I saved everything until the end, only to find out I have the wrong text book!!! Actually, it has the same information, but the page numbers go from 550-1445, and my assignment said to read pgs 426-452. It is a subject I'll admit I know absolutely nothing about, but this was certainly interesting...here goes for anyone who's interested. The years in parentheses are the year(s) the painting was made.

There were a number of important factors that played a role in the development of the renaissance style of northern Europe. The Renaissance, meaning “rebirth,” began in Italy during the late fourteenth century and lasted through the early sixteenth century.[1] Humanists emerged and brought out a greater appreciation for the achievements of the past. The religious, political, and social climate of the period all had an impact upon the work of artists as they moved gradually from the Byzantine or medieval style of art into the new renaissance style. Three works of art will be examined that demonstrate how artists evolved from the techniques of the Gothic period to the lighter and brighter techniques of the Renaissance.

Economic prosperity in the latter part of the fourteenth century led to prosperity amongst the merchants and artisans of the middle class. As wealth grew, so also did support for arts, learning, and greater creativity. Society members supporting humanism, or the “power and potential of human beings,” saw the period after the fall of the Roman Empire as a “dark age” and wanted their own time to be one of a reawakening of scholarly pursuits, education for the non-clergy, good will toward others, and cultural appreciation. [2]

The Byzantine or Medieval era was a time that is represented by Gothic art. This name was not given favorably, as it was a criticism of the quality of the artwork of that period. The Gothic art, prior to the Renaissance lacked a sense of light or shadowing. Artists did not draw the individuals within their paintings in correct proportions, as to help the illiterate to be able to discern and understand the meaning behind the work of art. For example, in a religious painting, the divinity of a person featured was to be ascertained by the size of their head and body in proportion to others in the painting. The larger the person, the more divine. Gold gilding was also added to the clothing of one who was divine, to signify their holiness.

In the Virgin and Child Enthroned, by Cenni di Pepi, (c. 1280), the artist being nicknamed “Cimabue,” the divinity of Mary is made clear by the greatness of Mary’s size in the center. Much gold is used as was the Byzantine style of art. There are halos around the head of Mary, Jesus, and the surrounding angels to also signify divinity, but there is also a hierarchy shown with Mary as the most holy. The gold gilding is present in Mary and Jesus’ robes. Cimabue has little variation in the facial expressions between Mary and the angels, nor between the Old Testament prophets across the bottom of the artwork. This will change in the years to come. There is no use of light and shadowing to give perspective, that we will see as the Renaissance style develops.

In The Maesta, by Duccio di Buoninsegna, (c. 1308-11), again we see a great deal of gold used in the painting. Mary is again made much larger than the others pictured and her halo is the largest of all the halos in the painting, signifying her divinity. This huge altarpiece was created over a three year period by Duccio. There is less of the gold gilding seen on Mary in this work, than in the Cimabue work. Vibrant colors are being used in this work and there is some variation in facial expressions with more thoughtfulness shown on some angels’ faces closest to Jesus.

The Annunciation, by Simone Martini, (c. 1333) displays many of the new techniques that took hold in the early Renaissance, namely the addition of light, perspective, shadowing, and a focus on nature and beauties within the world. Now, in 1333 the year this painting was made, we see the effects of light and the movement of the speech as the words travel from the angel’s lips toward Mary’s ear. There is still much gold work, but light is now present. Mary is no longer made larger. There are aspects of nature present such as the olive branch, signifying peace, and the lilies which are symbols of virginity.[3] There is emotion and a human touch added to Mary’s face now that was not seen in the Cimabue or Duccio works.

In conclusion, the coming of the Renaissance brought an end to the gothic art of the Medieval era and brought a much needed “rebirth” to those who were looking to find joy and happiness in their faith and in their world around them. Their sufferings were something of the past and now the artists were expressing this brightness of hope and humanity in their works of art. [1] Chaffey Library Database, Internet source, http://library.thinkquest.org/15962/data/renaissance.html. [2] Stokstad, Marilyn, Art History, 3rd ed, Pearson Education, Inc..2008, Vol. 2, p. 586. [3] Chaffey Library Database, Internet source, http://warhol80.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/hoaannunciationsimone-martini.ppt.

JOEY GETS THE JOB! Click here...

Joey went for the interview and loved it and they loved him. He will work at Pine View Middle School with 8th and 9th graders. The link above shows you the Special Ed. teachers that work there. There is also a male teacher in the class he will work in, who is not pictured. He's really thrilled to finally have a job again. He has to get fingerprinted and all sorts of stuff like that. It's $10/hr which is great for St. George plus he'll get every holiday off like the kids do. They will want him to work out the year which ends May 23rd, a month after college gets out. I told him that might put off his mission a bit, but he told me he can apply for his mission online up to 6 weeks before he turns 19. This is great news. I'm very curious to see how this circumstance and the people he will meet there will shape his career path in the future... Good work, Joey!

Joey Has An Interview!

Well we dropped Joey off in St. George. He seems to be loving it and is paddling like a fiend to keep afloat with 16 units! He is taking College Algebra, Interpersonal Communications, Nutrition, Computer Information Systems, English, and English Lab. We had a little chat recently after none of the restaurant jobs he applied for panned out. I thought of his patience and great "peacemaker" abilities he always had around here. I suggested he might find it easy being an Instructional Aide, like I am, at an elementary school. I looked up the local school district around St. George and they had 18 immediate openings for Aide positions to help out in the Special Education classes 3 hours/day for $10/hr. We had to round him up some letters of reference. He turned in the application, got called in for an interview the following day. They had him pick his top 3 choices for job positions. There was only one opening at an elementary school which has now been put on hold. I told him to go for "mild to moderate" with the youngest children possible. He just got another call yesterday and will be interviewing with the principal at Pine View Middle School. Google it in St. George and you can see pictures and lots of information. His interview is tomorrow at 1pm pacific time. I hope it works out well for him!

Dropping Joey Off at St. George....a family affair

Playing in the water at St. George, Utah.

The St. George Saga Begins...

Joey's best, best friend in St. George, Karina. Austin watching Olympics and working out at the hotel gym. Another medal for the US! Yay!!!!

Tug O' War and FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Girls are using all their might with some help from a few dads. Austin (center) holds firm with both feet digging into the ground. Mark and Austin on the way to seminary (6:00am) and to high school after that. They pick up Austin's buddy, Cameron every morning from a couple blocks away. Ressa and Melody on the first day of school. Ressa starting 4th grade and Melody starting 2nd.

The Summertime Ward Party @ the Church

Austin, in double-esposure, trying to win the girls vs. boys tug-o-war. Ressa's in front, trying to weaken the boys' team with "Tug-o'war's" version of "Eh batter, eh batter" and "Look Mom, only one hand!!!" Somebody tell Mark, "You can let go now...and we have a winner!"

September Catch-up Continues....

Mark and his brother, Steve discussing childhood memories, grievances, and other interesting past-times. ...and the joys of an early retirement! Melody flashing her pearly whites!