What I Blogged about in 2009

This is my year in blogging.
book.
read.
like?
Do I use that word the most? I must because the bigger the word the more often it appeared in the blog.
I must expand my vocabulary.
You can do this too! Make a word cloud out of any written passage in just seconds at
http://www.wordle.net/
Happy New Year Beloved Reader(s)!

Christmas Thoughts

This message touched me when I heard it in Sunday School yesterday, and redirected some of my thoughts as Christmas rapidly approaches. It was originally given in December 1994 by President Howard W. Hunter at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.

Enjoy!

This Christmas,

mend a quarrel.

Seek out a forgotten friend.

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.

Wrtite a letter.

Give a soft answer.

Encourage youth.

Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.

Keep a promise.

Forgo a grudge.

Forgive an enemy.

Apologize.

Try to understand.

Examine your demands on others.

Think first of someone else.

Be kind.

Be gentle.

Laugh a little more.

Express your gratitude.

Welcome a stranger.

Gladden the heart of a child.

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.

Speak your love and then speak it again....

Christmas is a celebration and there is no celebration that compares with the realization of the true meaning of Christmas--with a sudden stirring of the heart that has extended itself unselfishly in the things that matter most.

-President Howard W. Hunter

Merry Christmas!

(photo by maaco on flickr)

Cool but I can only do titles, not a real post :(

Blogging from 36,000 feet!

The Power of Sleep

I wrote a post last night lamenting everything in the world that can be lamented.

There was much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Partway through my teeth started to hurt from the gnashing and the weeping was clouding my vision so the post was saved and I retreated to an early bedtime.

12 hours of sleep later, I revisited the post and felt sympathy for the poor pitiable soul that wrote it.

me.

Everything looks rosy and the world is a good place this morning.

Sleep. I highly recommend it when upon life's billows you are tempest tossed (that's a hymn- and it tells you to count your blessings which is a fine idea also- but sometimes sleep trumps all!)
And if you are the mother of young ones....this too shall pass. Your day of uninterrupted sleep will return.

Back to the Blog!

I'm backkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!

I haven't forgotten about this blog- but I have been thinking about it.

kind of.

I write amazing posts in the middle of the night (in my brain and half-asleep) only to wake up and wonder what caused me to hallucinate in my sleep.

I solve the problems of the world. Half-asleep.

It's a good place to be... half-asleep.

I like it there.

Especially because I'm so profound in that altered state.

To tell the truth...the only reason I updated the chronicles tonight is because I found this AMAZING header and background online and fell in love with it and loaded it onto my blog.

I felt embarassed that there were no words to go along with the amazing (free) new header.

And now, there are words.

I'm headed to bed to ponder future blog posts!!

ps- a picture of the two youngest on their way to Homecoming 2009.

Creative Energy

Wow! I've been in a creative mood lately- saw this idea on http://www.craftrookie.blogspot.com/ (still not sure how to link to actual posts, but it's her 7/5/09 entry on how to make a necklace and bracelet holder. I followed all the directions except I used a drill instead of a nail.)

KK and I picked out some fabric and I got out the staple gun and drill (but spencer had to actually put the drill top- the point? the needle? the nail? in for me...still feeling quite impressed with myself! lol)

and- wah lah! About 30 minutes later a new necklace/bracelet holder. And boy did I need it, my necklaces were getting to know each other much too well. ahem.

Summertime...and the living is BUSY

I thought that summertime was supposed to be relaxed....
as in:
Sit by the pool.

Read a book (well, I do that every day year-round...does that mean I relax year-round? some of my family would agree)

Enjoy popsicles

Sleep in

Get along joyously with children who are joyous about being out of school

Enjoy wearing lighter, breezier styles of clothing meant to show off parts of the body kept warm in sweaters and jeans the rest of the year.

Instead, I have never been busier.
Going backwards on my list, I do not enjoy the lighter, breezier styles of clothing that show off my white legs and relief society arm flaps. In fact, I spend alot of time trying to cleverly conceal above body parts while not looking (nor feeling) like an eskimo in the depths of winter.

My children are joyous about being out of school but not as joyous about the chores/activities/errands I have planned for them! Love teenagers, but......

Due to my new exercise regimen (walking 3 miles 1, 2, or 3 times a week) at 8:30am (which is early rising for me) I am getting up earlier than during the school year. The other two days I wake up early to worry about not sleeping through the "time to walk" alarm the next day. Wrong, I know.

Forgot to buy the popsicles. Bought oreos instead. That does not go well with either the exercise regimen or the relief society arm flaps. But yummy.

Can't sit by the pool because I lost the pool pass to the neighborhood pool and it's $25 to replace. I lose it every year. I end up replacing it every year two weeks before the pool closes. Then I promptly lose it before the next season starts.

Besides that, I knelt on a sewing pin and it poked into my knee, our car needed $4,000 of repairs before the trek west, the computer dies and then miraculously revives, I have made 4 books with the coptic binding shown in the previous post, and I have spent numerous days saving our sweet dog Kalla from a bully in the neighborhood (a bird...more on that and pictures someday soon!)

Hope your summertime living is easy!

Creating!!

I have had so much fun these last couple of weeks creating a guest book for my niece Kiley's wedding next month. I haven't taken time to just "make things" in so long, and I forgot how much joy it brings me!

I am new to book-binding of any kind, and the original plan I had for the guest book involved some skewers (like shish-ka-bobs) and a weaving in and out of the paper to hold it all together. A very cool technique (which I've never done) but not very sturdy for a book that will get major usage for a few hours during the reception! I have the skewers on hand for another day though...or if my kids get naughty enough.

Etsy is a neat site (etsy.com) where handmade items are sold. I saw some great looking coptic bound journals there, and knew that was the look I wanted. I then watched several online videos (google coptic bookbinding and then go to the alteredbooks site for the best videos), practiced on cheap paper, and threw myself into the project. Kind of like trying a recipe for the first time when you have company coming! I used the covers of an old hardback book that our library was sending to the dump, and covered them with the handmade paper.

Kiley's colors are a beautiful combination of purple, coral, and soft yellow. Although the crystal heart looks blue in the picture, I can assure you it's purple. I promise!

I wish I could be there for the wedding, but I'll be traipsing about somewhere in the middle of New Mexico where I doubt I'll get cell phone coverage. I find that painful. Almost as painful as missing the wedding.

Overdosing on Books! (and liking it)

I have been on a reading binge lately. Two to three books a week. Most of them three stars on my personal grading system (best being five stars). Here are a few of the stand-outs....

A five star-er!
The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodges Burnett
Written by the author of the famous "Secret Garden", this book was out of print but can be ordered on Amazon. The humble heroine is absolutely likable, believable and endearing. It is a rather short book, but delightful in a Cinderella type manner.

A four plus star-er
Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy
I've always been a fan of her work, and if you like her style you will love this book. She brings the stories of several characters together and weaves the connections between them like a beautiful tapestry. I did find it a bit cloying that she used so many characters from previous novels, but I still love her story-telling skills. Another good book written by Binchy is "Whitehorn Woods" about a religious well that people believe can help them.

A four-star book:
Mother of the Believers by Kamran Pasha- an interesting historical fiction look at the beginnings of Islam through the eyes of Aisha, one of Muhammad's wives.

A three-plus star book:
A Most Uncommon degree of Popularity by Kathleen Seidel
Highly recommended, and therefore I probably expected to much. An entertaining read of a mother's feelings when her daughter is excluded from her "popular" group of friends.

Sunrise, Sunset

Feel like singing the Fiddler on the Roof song, "Sunrise, Sunset" today.

The school year is almost over.. it seems as if yesterday we were running to Target to buy school supplies (one of my favorite activities of the year until I hit the cash register.)

Is this the little girl I carried...
Lacrosse season is almost over and KK has had a strong year. Goals in most games, and a growing understanding of the mechanics of lacrosse.

KK is excited to start (gasp) high school next fall. I am so not ready for that.

Is this the little boy at play....
The missionary is heading into his last 6 months of service. I remember after he had been gone a week thinking that there were only 103 weeks to go until he came home. And getting depressed over that. While I still miss him very much, I am a bit sorry that he only has about 26 more weeks to throw himself into the service of the Lord. To teach and preach and put aside worries of the everyday world.

I don't remember growing older... when did they?

And of course, the quintessential sign that the school year is almost over- Prom. Spencer's date was a friend from school, and they went with a group of kids, many of whom have been friends for years.

When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?






















Spencer and his date did a good job of matching colors.





















Even their eyes match.

















Sunrise, Sunset
Sunrise, Sunset
Swiftly fly the years

One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears....

Announcing my retirement from marathon running

I'm sure those who know me well are wondering how they missed my great marathon career now that I am on the verge of retirement?

Well, I trained for marathons.

Kind of.

I ran to the mailbox when it was cold or raining.
I also had the hazy goal of someday running a marathon and taking those cool pictures afterwards where arms are stretched up into the air in a victory move. On second thought, I could actually take those pictures without running the marathon and as I get older and more forgetful I might actually forget I never ran further than aforementioned mailbox.

Upon learning recently that marathoners routinely lose their toenails (after the toenails turn a lovely black hue), I have regretfully ended my marathon aspirations.

You see, I LOVE my toenails.
No, they're not especially beautiful or special, and sometimes they have a propensity to become ingrown, but toenails are one part of my aging body that:

won't gain weight when I inhale too many hot fudge sundaes

won't sag like other body parts that I am perpetually trying raise to their former status

won't turn gray (as long as I stay off the marathon circuit) requiring expensive dye treatments

won't blur or require special equipment just to read

The list goes on and on but sharing further details about my aging body might become just a little too much information (TMI) for your reading pleasure.

While the time has come for me to retire, I will never forget the amazing experiences I had while running to the mailbox and pondering future marathon runs. I wish all remaining marathoners the best of luck and good podiatrists.

MWAC in a Mirror!

MWAC is an acronym for "Mom With A Camera" and isn't a compliment in the world of photography. But to me? A compliment! What could be better than a mom with a camera?

A mom with a camera in front of the mirror! Since the MWAC never gets into the photos and lest everyone think that she was somehow out of town (or out of her mind, which is far more likely) for all the great family events and holidays, the MWAC takes self-portraits in the mirror. This has also been deemed "not cool" by the powers that be (whoever they are) but since I am late to the cool party anyways, I decided to insert myself into my family history via self-portraits in the mirror. The other day the hair and outfit gods seemed to align nicely and so I grabbed my camera for my big photo shoot in the mirror.

Hmmmm. This MWAC found the whole self-portrait thing to be harder than she thought it would be! Really now, how hard is it to point the camera into the mirror, smile prettily, and shoot? HARD!!

My first attempt did a nice job of focusing on the plastic flowers and baseball hat on the bathroom counter. Note for future self-portraiture in the mirror. Find a good mirror outside the bathroom.

My second attempt did a great job of memorializing the outfit (the jacket was only $7.48 on clearance, how cool is that?) but somehow missed the person inside.

Attempts three through one hundred involved strange expressions, oddly flared nostrils (remember next time to shoot from above, not below), closed eyes, awkward messy closet shots and the clutter on the bathroom counter.

Attempt #101 is the best of the day. A partial attempt to get myself into the photo album. It works for me.

The MWAC is tired and will now GTTKFAS. (go to the kitchen for a snack)

Missionaries and Train Tracks

in Glendora, CA.
(mother note to son---- GET OFF THE TRAIN TRACK!)

Phoenix 2009

While in Phoenix for spring break, I subjected the kids to a photo shoot at a cool cactus park. Although it was a slightly overcast day, enough sun popped through to create alot of squinting and complaining.

Most of the pictures turned out flat and despite my detailed photoshop efforts, they still look dull. From a photography aspect, they are barely adequate. From an "I like looking at pictures of my children" aspect, they're perfect!
I have no idea why my blog post is underlining itself. Can't find an underlining symbol anywhere!

The "G" Word

Many years ago when the missionary was just a little tyke, maybe kindergarten or first grade (I know, I should have written it down when it happened. Maybe he was like, 14 or something as well as I remember things!) I picked him up from school one day.

He was noticeably upset.

I decided to be a mature mama and wait to see if he would share his problem with me.
I drove off.
30 seconds later all my maturity drove off too. (He was my first child, after all!)

I demanded (and I'm afraid that's all too true, in fact, I think I literally commanded him to tell me his problems. I had a lot of mothering learning to do. I still have a lot of mothering learning to do.)

In a tremulous voice, he told me that someone at school used the "G" word.
Said with appropriate tones saved for the very naughtiest of deeds.

The "G" word? My not so quick and commanding mothering mind searched for the "G" word. Was this some new word that I didn't know? I finally had my aha! moment and in my most mature mothering voice (it came back after being driven off) I started to explain how not all children have learned that we don't take the Lord's name in vain.

"Not that word, MOM!" he groaned.

Oh. Mature mother slipped away again momentarily. What to do? What other "G" words are there? What are they teaching my child at this school that I pay my taxes for? Who is my precious firstborn cavorting with at this heathen institution?

"Well, umm, which "G" word did this child say?"

No immediate answer from the back. I could see his thoughts...mom asking me to say a bad word???

then, quietly, hesitantly, I hear him say

"Jerk!"

I had to cover my mouth in a pretend fit of coughing to hide the uncontrollable laughter gurgling up within me. Between sputters and coughs, I finally summoned up enough composure to say one of my wisest, most mature mother comments ever.

"Oh my!"

I never had the heart to tell the missionary that the "G" word isn't really a "G" word after all, but a "J" word.

Blogging Thoughts

As of December 2007 there were over 112 million blogs worldwide. As of December 2008, there were at least 112,000,001 because that's when I jumped into the blogging world.

I've been thinking alot about blogs lately.... specifically my own blog.
What do I want to accomplish with my blog? Or is it a just for fun, no need to accomplish anything kind of activity?

I thought about the blogs I enjoy reading. And I do enjoy reading blogs. I may even be a closet blog-reader addict. I enjoy reading blogs about other places in the world, about families, about the financial condition of our economy and our personal lives...

I read quilt blogs faithfully.
I don't quilt.
But the beautiful works of fabric art inspire me with their colors, their design, their message.

I read blogs about courageous people overcoming challenges with faith and hope. I add these bloggers into my prayers.

Some blogs are maintained to market the blogger's business interests, and some blogs have become so popular that the blogger makes a significant amount of money through advertising banners placed on their blog. Jen Lancaster, who wrote the book "Bitter is the New Black", (a funny book if you can handle her expletive language) started her literary career with a blog detailing her experiences after being laid off and unemployed from a high-paying, important job.

I started off blogging thinking that at the end of the year I'd send the blog archives off to wherever it is they go to be made into a book. A type of journal safe for public consumption that we could look back at years from now and say-- my, wasn't 2009 a great year? However as I've reviewed my recent posts- cheating on online Jane Austen quizzes and the such, I'm doubting the wisdom of turning my blog into a family book. How can I teach my grandchildren and great-grandchildren the virtue of honesty when I so dismiss it in my quest for Elizabeth Bennet-hood?

I also started off blogging hoping to entice the rest of my extended family into starting their own blogs where we could show off our good-looking children to one another, praise our clever actions in difficult situations, and connect a bit better than the annual christmas card and birthday phone calls. They didn't bite.

Here's what I didn't expect when I started a blog.
That I would like reading my older posts over again
That I would laugh sometimes at my wit (or lack thereof)
That I would be the biggest fan of my blog.

And that's the answer to what I want to accomplish with my blog.
I want to enjoy fun, silly, touching, tender, nonsensical moments again.
And again.

And for those of you that read (and hooray to those that comment!), I hope that you sometimes laugh, sometimes feel tender, and that sometimes this blog uplifts your life as other blogs uplift mine.

Yes! Elizabeth Bennet!

I see this Jane Austen quiz as a sort of ACT....
take it over and over again until you get the best score!

then be proud of that score and forget that you took it numerous times.

So...I took the quiz again....
hoping to learn from my prior mistakes.
and...
I am Elizabeth Bennet!

smart, beautiful, passionate, loyal, true...
that's me!
(and proves the old adage that practice makes perfect!)

Not Elizabeth Bennet?

I took this highly scientific quiz and learned that of all Jane Austen's heroines, I am most like Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility.

I was hoping to be Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.
Smart, witty, beautiful,
quick with a retort when injustice is sensed.
Plus, Keira Knightley was just so delightful and stunning in the film that I wanted just a little piece of that action!

I am Marianne.
Have you read sense and sensibility?
I am more Marianne than I thought.
and she is sort of a half heroine.
From e-notes:
Marianne personifies the sensibility in the title of the book. Marianne is a girl whose "sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation." She is all passion and romantic notions; this is typified in her playing the piano. While living out her passions, she is self-absorbed and unconcerned with the poor impression that she often makes on others.

I'm kind of surprised that she is a heroine at all...maybe she's only 1/4 heroine?
I'm going to go re-take the quiz.
I'm sure I can study for it and figure out how to be Elizabeth Bennet!

The Thrill of Victory (at a small cost)

Over the weekend, DH and I got together with some friends for treats and games.
I was in charge of the game-

I brought "encore" which is actually an older game but can still be purchased at amazon.com for $12.95. Of course, you'll have to buy another book worth at least $13 to get the free shipping...but that makes it all the more fun! Because another book is always a good thing.

The gist behind Encore is to break into teams, pick a card, then come up with as many songs as possible with lyrics using the word on the card. An example would be the word "red"...Possible songs would be "Little Red Corvette" or "Lady in Red." Sometimes many songs come to mind, sometimes nothing! The team who can't come up with songs repeatedly, loses.

DH is very good at this game. I learned that I am very good at remembering every single inappropriate song I've ever heard with the chosen word in it. When the 20 second egg timer is turned over, it's amazing how the mind turns blank. Except for the songs you don't want to sing in mixed company. Unless you really want to win. Which I always do.

For the word "like"
I shouted out "I like big butts and I cannot lie!"
the crowd was quiet.
They don't know that song.
They were slightly shocked that I sang the song slightly off-tune and without missing a word.
DH knows that song!
But he sat there (on the other team) looking blankly at me as if to say-
who is this woman and why is she here?
Of course his eyes are totally laughing behind his blank look.
But I'm the only one that knows that.

I stubbornly insisted that not only was "I like big butts" a real song, but one of my favorites..
(it's not really.)
Scarily enough they believed me.

They didn't seem to believe me as easily when later in the game the word was "til" and I stated that one of my favorite songs in the whole wide world is "God be with you til we meet again." (it is, really.)

Ah, the costs associated with the thrill of victory.
Because of course,
my team won.

The Day I Confused the Appraiser for an Awkward Blind Date

So...
the cleaning happened.
It was painful, and every bit as awful as I expected it to be.
But all was ready for the almighty appraiser man this morning.

Almost ready.
Appraiser man came early (which is where the whole confusion started to set in , because I hadn't swiffered the stairs -again- of black dog hair which reproduces during the night.) Dog hair on stairs is not a value booster and does nothing for the whole instrinsic flow I was hoping for.

Appraiser man asks me if we had alot of traffic when our house was on the market a year ago. I had forgotten that he would obviously see this fact in the records and could very well ask about it. Well, we had alot of cleaning to do while it was on the market, and that felt like traffic to me, so I answered "Oh yes, we had ALOT of traffic. Of course, no offers..." This is when I realized my fatal error. I should have answered that we had little traffic, which in truth we did, because that would make it seem as if too few people saw it to appreciate what a great deal it was at 5% over purchase price.

Feeling awkward, as I did on blind dates in my single years, I asked a question.

"Do you like your job"

Appraiser man does indeed like his job.

Appraiser man asks what upgrades we've made to the house since we moved in.
I point out the beautiful arched doorways and niches that I'm not sure he has had the opportunity to fully appreciate.
(they came with the house.)

I notice at this point that appraiser man is wearing his socks. Before I can shut my mouth, I tell him he can put his shoes back on as there is "dog hair everywhere." Open mouth insert wide foot.

Do you see the value of my home slipping? I do.

The final nail in my appraiser man coffin came as he was preparing to leave.
"You have a very nice home" he said.
"I bet you say that to all the homeowners" was my blurted response.

I think that appraiser man enjoys his job a little less after his visit at my home.

And I'm glad I'm married. It's clear that I wasn't ever good at blind dates and the years haven't improved me!
although I did marry a blind date. another story for another day

Cleaning Day

With the excitement of recent travel....
With the stress of year-end financials at work....
With the bother of our own tax returns to complete....
With lacrosse season starting up (kk) and ninjitsu season never-ending (spencer)...

hmmm... I'm running out of excuses to show you how I am MUCH too busy to clean or even pick up the ratty shoes on the staircase that have sat there for weeks. (Well maybe just days, but they're so icky it feels like weeks.)

Probably because there aren't any more reasons?

Oh! There were the really great books that I just had to read straight through, and the messenger bag that I just had to learn to sew, and the invitations that just had to be made for a friend.

At this point, it is probably needless to mention that the cleaning/clutter pick-up duties of our home have been neglected. Seriously neglected.

If they had a CPS for neglected homes, they would be knocking at my door right now.

So today has been designated as cleaning day.

Actually an appraiser is coming to our home on Thursday for our loan refinancing. I've heard that appraisers are looking at just the nuts and bolts of the home, but if said appraiser falls over the nuts and bolts strewn about my scrap room floor (in the form of ink pads, paper, eyelets, cameras) or the nuts and bolts upstairs in the form of half-unpacked luggage, I can see the home value starting to slide! (In addition to the slip-and-sliding it's already been doing with the economy.) I just want to make sure that the appraiser feels the intrinsic value of the home so strongly he/she applies it to the extrinsic (if that's not a word, I mean the final number that he actually values the house at) value. Perhaps warm chocolate chip cookies are in order?

I started out cleaning day by accidentally sleeping in.
I then did a check of e-mail and all the blog sites that I follow. Can't miss anything important!
I then went to gym to exercise. I haven't been to the gym in over two years, and today seemed like a good day to go back.
And now I am blogging.
It's only 12:48 pm. The day is still young! The cleaning will happen!
I hope!

Unintended Travels

Back from our trip to the Dominican Republic (and several other unintended cities!)

The plan was to leave home at 4am, board a flight to Charlotte, NC, then connect to Punta Cana.
Easy enough.
Weather was beautiful as we took off right on schedule, our spirits were high! (along with our bodies in the airplane.)
until...
the plane was diverted to Bristol, Tennessee because of fog in Charlotte. Huh? I thought fog was reserved for the airports near...uh....oceans? San Francisco? Los Angeles? Sydney?
Who knew they had fog in Charlotte?
They do.

so after a delightful (cough,cough) stay in Bristol, we landed in Charlotte too late to catch the last flight of the day to the DR.

instead, we caught a flight in the other direction to:
Our luggage didn't catch the same flight...
Our spirits drooped a bit... our clothes were even droopier- especially the white t-shirt that I wore and accidentally dropped chocolate sauce on in the Charlotte airport.
After 16 hours of travel we ended up farther away from the DR than when we began! After checking into a Fairfield Inn in Jamaica, NY we enjoyed an amazing dinner at the in-hotel restaurant (situated in a large conference room area), we were able to laugh about the whole situation.

Thursday found us arriving in the DR only a day late and several dollars short. (I just couldn't abide the really gross by now white t-shirt, and had to buy an over-priced one at the airport. I have learned my lesson and will never travel in white again! I should probably not wear white ever again...but it matches everything which is a plus for the matching challenged like myself.) The resort was one of the nicest I have ever stayed at, and the service was beyond gracious.







Our room had an ocean-front view and it was beautiful. Right in front was a private beach with little tiki huts and bed-like lounge chairs (what are they called, anyone know?) Cares of the real world just slipped away and life took on a dream-like quality. And that is pretty much how we spent the next four days! Sitting on our bed-like lounge chairs, people-watching, reading, and napping. I do this well. Dave has a bit harder time with the relaxing thing, but he tried hard! I was proud of him for his effort.

























And now we are back to real-life. The concerns that seemed trivial now seem important again, but nowhere near as important as they seemed before the trip. Outside the resort grounds, we saw the hardships that many of the Dominicans face on a daily basis. We felt gratitude for the blessings in our lives, and have added the lovely Dominican people to our nightly prayers.

Fue de Pesca

Viajo a la República Dominicana (Punta Cana) para una vacaciones breves. ¡Regrese pronto!

Jai-Ho means...

Victory....Victorious.....
And if you haven't heard of jai-ho before, you need to watch this video...as Jai-ho is one of the songs on the soundtrack for the movie Slumdog Millionaire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC3QNyEuBgY

I've read several books (A Suitable Boy, The Space Between Us, Bombay Nights) based in India, and I would love to go there someday....

This morning as I headed off to another day at the office doing final (and detested) year-end work, I played Jai-Ho loud and sang even louder. It was enough to scare the (ironically Indian-looking) man in the silver SUV next to me into speeding up and disappearing rapidly into the distance. That caused me to laugh which may have scared other drivers! I may see myself in a news report tonight- police are seeking middle-aged woman last seen laughing wildly while singing and "dancing" to rousing indian music. Suspected of scaring all other drivers off the road.

All in all...it was a Jai-Ho day!

Two Run-on Sentence Book Reviews

I've spent alot of time lately reading, less time doing necessary chores around the house. But it's been so much more interesting than doing chores... That reminds me of a poem I've used often to avoid my not-cleaning-the-house-guilt....

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow
for they will be back, I've learned to my sorrow
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
I'm reading my book and it's really deep!

(with my apologies to the original poetess Ruth Hulbert Hamilton)

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

An absorbing read that started out strong but reminded me of a term paper I once wrote that reached the required number of pages before I really dealt properly with the subject; I promptly ended the paper (and didn't get a great grade.) The story line deals with several intense issues including mental illness, incest, and fanatacism, and I guarantee you that the movie (which I am sure will be made someday) will be way too scary for me to see!




The Poyson Garden by Karen Harper

A light and fairly amusing mystery featuring Elizabeth I as the amateur detective resolving mysteries that especially pertain to her future kingdom and her desire to remain alive to reign over that kingdom. This book strains the imagination on several points, especially Elizabeth's never-failing ability to sneak out of the manor house she was "imprisoned" at during the reign of her sister Queen Mary, but still manages to be a fun read.




A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick

The depth of this book surprised me after a bland beginning telling the story of Evelyn who decides open a quilt store and start new life in Connecticut after her husband (who she dutifully served for many years) leaves her. The book turns out to be an enjoyable read as the author develops the characters delightfully and skillfully deals with the topic of forgiveness.

Stay the Path

Today Spencer received his blue belt in ninjutsu and I am proud of him and of the hard work he's put in these last couple of years. I am also glad that he has his driver's license and can drive himself to and from classes- sometimes four or five a week. A black belt with his name on it is hanging on the wall of the dojo, and he hopes one day to be able to take it off the wall.

Speaking of walls, on the bathroom wall (I am of an age now that I get to explore the bathrooms just about everywhere I go...and this was a beautiful one, all bamboo leaves stenciled over a peaceful sage wall) was a framed quote that I was impressed by:

The path of the Warrior is lifelong, and mastery is often simply staying on the path.

- Richard Strozzi Heckler

I needed to see that quote today. (I also needed to use the bathroom.) Sometimes all we need to do is to stay on the path... and be proud of doing so.

I'm adding an action shot - a very bad one. I haven't gotten to the indoor/flash/moving rapidly subjects part of my photography hobby. What I find funny about this picture is that after YEARS of telling my boys not to hit girls, it's never ok to hit girls (deleted comment about pop musicians) my son has a girl today as his sparring partner. And I was shouting...take her down!!! (or something classy like that).

Two-sentence Book Review

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Get this. Read it. Love it. I did.
oops. four sentences.

Ever feel like you look like this?

when headed to a tropical destination like this?

I do......

but isn't Shamu a cute whale despite being whale-size?

and doesn't just about everyone LOVE Shamu?

I do....

and do the people looking at Shamu say- oh dear, look at how large and white Shamu is?

well,

I do....

darn.

(photos by Stig Nygaard (whale) and droid (beach) via Flickr creative commons license)

JOYFUL (and Lazy)

I scrapped this page six years ago, and it remains one of my favorites. KK does bring great joy into our lives. A little bit of spice too... but what's joy without some seasoning?

This was actually supposed to be a post about how my oldest (the missionary) will be turning 21 years old tomorrow. How having him was such an exciting experience after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting and a prior miscarriage. How I am missing him when I think about the years I was blessed to have with him as a child- and how fleeting they truly were. When my children were little, I fantasized about a good night's rest, a real conversation, a glass of juice I didn't have to pour myself. Little did I know that those memories would become precious and that inconveniences associated with them totally forgotten...just like labor!

Despite all my warm and fuzzy feelings today about the missionary... I don't have a picture of him as a baby or toddler on the computer (it was all film then, folks) and am too lazy to go scan one. Recent pictures of him are always in groups with people I don't know and who I doubt would be thrilled to be foisted onto the web (and I'm too lazy to crop them out.) He was a wee one (hmm- a little irish flair to the blog today!) at 6lbs, 4oz. and cute as a button.

So instead of a picture of my first baby, you get a picture of my last baby....and I assure you, there was a baby in the middle who I love just as much and will devote an entire blog entry to someday. When I'm not feeling quite so lazy!!!

Two Sentence Book Reviews

Why two sentences?
Because if I write much more, I am very likely to spoil something in the plot for you and ruin your reading experience. I am always perplexed by the introductions to classic literature where a very learned individual proceeds to explain the book to the reader, and spoils the whole story under the guise of academia. I have a confession, I don't read those introductions. Neither before nor after the book. By the time I'm done reading classic literature, I feel sufficiently self-righteous with my accomplishment and am concerned that reading the spoiling introduction will prove to me that I didn't really get the book. at all.

On to the reviews!
The ex-debutante by Linda Lee

This book was a quick easy read, full of fluffy southern details and a clever quippy style of writing. The downside of this novel is that the plot is fairly transparent and the ending is obvious long before the middle of the book.











The Last Cato by Matilde Asensi

Another adventure Indiana Jones/DaVinci code type novel by this author involving a nun, a professor, and a Vatican- employed Swiss Guard in an effort to save Christianity through performing tests based on Dante's Divine Comedy. Great read, although the story occasionally gets bogged down in so many details that this reader's eyes glazed over.







The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam

Beautiful, but fairly dark story detailing the interaction between several characters of several nationalities in post 9/11 Afghanistan. I enjoyed reading this book but felt as if I wasn't deep enough to understand the nuanced plot changes and seemingly unrelated flash-way-backs to colonial america.

Tagged....

by my sister-in-law (see no time to shower blog at right)

Something I want to see:
The warrior sculpture guys in China
Moscow

Something that inspires me:
Beautiful music- can be any type.

Something that makes me angry:
When children are hurt

Something that hurts a little:
Not having any natural born sisters

Something I've gotten used to:
Not having any natural born sisters

Something I collect:
Paper- decorative, journals, stationery, books... I don't mean to collect it, but it seems to reproduce!

Something I always carry with me:
Cell phone

Something I want to be:
Patient

Something I dread:
Desperately needing something I carelessly threw away and being unable to replace it. quirky, I know.

Something that I have learned:
I'm not as smart as I thought I was growing up...and that's ok.

Something I read:
The Far Pavillion by M.M. Kaye. Apparently it wasn't written until she was in her 70's? It's about 900 pages long, and all but 50 pages (near the end) are fascinating. Those 50 pages...what was she thinking? Did she lose her brilliance for a few hours while writing?

Something I want to understand:
Hugh Nibley's honors lectures on the Book of Mormon. I'm trying, believe me, I'm trying. But that man was a MASSIVE genius.

And I tag....Laura (from Laura's Life)

You missed the Pity Party!

Last week was one of those
terrible,
horrible,
no good,
very bad
weeks.

(Wish I had come up with that clever opening, but Judith Viorst beat me to it.)

Before you get too worried, I will hasten to add that nothing life threatening or shattering happened, just a combination of MANY little annoyances that added up to make the molehill seem like a mountain.... A large mountain.... A range of mountains- like the Alps. You get the idea.

a small sampling of my inconveniences:
Cars with flat tires,
dishwashers (1 year out of warranty) that wouldn't stay closed without a bamboo stick,
minor (of the most minor kind) surgery where the local anesthetic hurt worse than the rest of the procedure or recovery,
snow and ice reigning supreme over the school district and my best laid plans,
gallons of goodies consumed with the kids while we sat out the school closures decimating any thoughts of weight loss.

So I did what came naturally. I had a pity party. I pulled out the off-brand soda, the stale chips that had been hidden in the back of the pantry, put on my most ill-fitting sweats (the ill-fitting jeans won't...ahem....fit) and most unflattering t-shirt and proceeded to feel sorry for myself. I also invited (forced) the rest of the family to attend the party by loudly proclaiming my misery whenever and however possible. Misery loves company, doesn't it?.

While surfing blogs (do we surf blogs like we surf the internet? Why don't we call it skateboarding the internet? Biking the internet? Who decided we "surf" the internet? Al Gore?) I read the following quote at Laura's blog (see Laura's life on the right...she's funny and clever but doesn't blog often enough)

Elder B. H. Roberts of the Seventy said "those who have to contend with difficulties, brave dangers, endure disappointments, struggle with sorrows, eat the bread of adversity and drink the water of affliction, develop a moral and spiritual strength, together with a purity of life and character, unknown to the heirs of ease, and wealth and pleasure."

The pity soda went flat, the pity chips went into the trash. The pity clothes were hung up for slimmer days. Although my "trials" this past week were frustrating, and not at all huge in the world of trials, I do think they were a vehicle for growth in my life, however small. And I am grateful that I can "surf" or "bike" or "skateboard" the blogs of others, to find the inspiration and comfort that I needed!

Wherever you go, go with all your Heart

I would like to claim authorship of that beautiful quote, but Confucius beat me to it. (by a year or two)

Saturday night the doorbell rang rather late, and upon opening the door, this array of hearts greeted us.

"Heart attacking" wasn't around when I was a teenager... we tp'd homes, and then after a suitable wait (at least a few hours) tp'd the same home again. There was always an element of excitement- knowing that our parents wouldn't let us take multiple rolls of toliet paper, so a big part of our fun was finding ways to hide the rolls under our shirts, sweaters (this was california, my friends, we didn't know the word for "coat",) in purses - "why yes mom, I really think this extra-large beach bag goes great with my corduroys!"

One thing I love about heart attacking is that there is a bit of work involved- cutting out all those hearts takes some time, and often the attackers write cute/silly/fun/meaningless/meaningful statements on the hearts. One of my favorite was a heart that proclaimed "I love MORMAN girls." A derivative of heart attacking (though more expensive) is post-it-ing, which is popular with the male teenagers who don't cut hearts quite as well, or anywhere near as patiently as the females. (Sorry, it's a fact...well, I read it somewhere... it's those fine (or are they gross?) motor skills.)

Another thing I love about heart attacking is that the hearts are happy, they are joyful, and not just the attackee gets to enjoy the colorful display and act of fun, but the whole family. With two teenagers at home, there was an animated discussion late Saturday night as to who was actually the "attackee" this particular time... but as far as I'm concerned, we were all lucky attackees.

So heart-attackers, bring it on!!! Because wherever you are going, you are going with all your heart.... (and hearts) and Confucius would be proud!

Favorite Photos for 2008

I am learning alot about photography, and have so much more to learn. I'm hoping to take an online class from Karen Russell (http://karenrussell.typepad.com/) this winter, however with a waiting list of over 400, I might be postponed in my hopes...

These are a few of my favorite non-family pictures for 2008.. I am lucky that friends will pose for me as I practice and learn. I am also lucky that the friends who will pose are extremely good-looking and photogenic and make me look like a much better photographer than I am!

The first two photos are fun out-takes from a family shoot... we had some gorgeous family pictures, but these really tickled my funny-bone. Ask the family to jump as high as they can, and the oldest son (after a few high jumping pictures) crouches into a frog-like position. Look at younger brother looking down at him like, dang, that could've been me! The other photo was taken of the "children" laughing together in a silly moment. The relationship that they have is one that we all hope our children will have- if even occasionally! I don't have a picture of my kids like this...yet....but I am definitely going to stage one when the missionary comes home!This third photo is of a young woman who (if you can believe it) is even more beautiful on the inside than on the outside. She doesn't care to have her picture taken, so I consider this photo, and several others we took that day that were equally stunning even more of a success!

While these are not technically ideal (or even close to ideal,) they remind me of why I love photographing people....there are stories to be told in each picture, there are stories behind the picture that beg to be told, and there are few better ways to capture a moment than a photograph...technically ideal or not!

Here's to 2009 photos, and a hope I get into the photography class!!!

Only ONE YEAR LEFT to:

use his ipod (upon which I have deleted all his songs and uploaded mine)... what? My ipod is lost. This was the budget friendly way to have all the joys of an ipod and not pay for it!

use his laptop...upon which I have added thousands of pictures, photoshop cs, and millions of kb's of primary records.

enjoy his redecorated and over girlified bedroom- with the bed and nightstand, duvet covers, pillow cases, and lamps he's never seen (love ikea, yes I do!) I know that when he returns he'll want something more mannish. At least I hope he will. It's a veritable flower paradise in there!

write 52 Sunday afternoon e-mails trying to come up with interesting, clever, and witty things that have happened in a week where all we did was school/work/church/home... When we have done something noteworthy or exciting, trying to make it sound fun, but not TOO fun.

Appreciate the opportunity he has to set aside the common worries of young adulthood, and instead focus on serving his Heavenly Father.

I hope the year just SPEEDS by! For me, that is. I think he's hoping for slow-motion.

Songs I Sing Out Loud and Books I Read Silently

MUSIC:
"The Call" sung by Regina Spektor (sp?) from the Chronicles of Narnia- Prince Caspian movie. Very cool and embodies a deep message. At least it seems deep to me, but it might be one of those "seems deep but really isn't" type of songs and I am infusing all sorts of hidden meanings into a basically meaningless song. Either way, I sing out loud every time I hear it!

"The Chanukah Song" (not to be confused with Adam Sandler's song) sung by Jane Olivor- also known as "We are Lights" and commonly sung by choirs....however itunes has the Jane Olivor version and it's great!

BOOKS:
"Everything Under the Sky" by Matilde Asensi
Kind of reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies- without Indiana Jones... replaced by a spanish expatriate widow living in Paris who must search for treasure to pay off debts of her french expatriate husband who lived in China. hmmmm. If you like adventure, no romance, and far-off places, you'll love this! I did find it a fun read, and will read other books by this author, but it isn't profound (like the song "the call" mentioned above.)

Hard to embrace "EMBRACE"

I didn't know how easy I had it last year- my word was "faith." I was able to find references to faith everywhere I looked... the Bible, the Book of Mormon, even Oprah's magazine had blurbs on faith. Because faith is such a core belief in my life, it wasn't too hard to step it up a level, to increase my faith, to really try to understand the impact of faith on my life.

Now I move to "embrace" as my word... and I am finding that the concept of embracing- or as the dictionary says, "to take up willingly and eagerly" - who I am and who I can be... it's hard. I'd like to change my word... to something I'm already doing. Embracing myself has not been a core belief in my life... (one can only have so many core beliefs) and I have tended to focus on the "must becomes" and "must do's" instead of the "I am ok's."

This year I would like to focus on embracing the "I am ok's," and yet also keep in the forefront of my embracing the "would like to becomes", and the "would like to do's" (My father complains that this all sounds vague and obamaish.)

But I can't change my word- I've already ordered my "embrace" necklace.

EMBRACE

is my word for 2009!

Embrace as in:
to embrace who I am at this moment,
to embrace the process of continually growing/changing and trying to improve,
to embrace my life- the good, the bad, and the ugly,

so good-bye faith... (well, this isn't good-bye so much as au revoir... I'll never forget you faith!)
and hello embrace!