THAT's a good question!

I remember being asked a very thought provoking question when daughter #2 was about 4 or 5.....this happened to be the day that I lost my keys for the 3rd time in a week and I was thoroughly frustrated. We had looked in all the "good" spots (meaning spots that seem logical to MOST people) and I just couldn’t think of anywhere else to look. I sat there in the front seat of the car, no doubt complaining loudly, and she just looked at me with her big brown eyes and asked the only logical question....."Mommy are you a loser?"

I guess it’s pretty clear cut, I mean in her view you’re either a loser........or a finder. I remembered this yesterday when I was listening to the radio and they recounted the story of a man who found a Louis Vuitton bag on a Sausalito California park bench which contained a 12 carat diamond ring, pearl and emerald jewelry, a Cartier watch and $500 in cash.....over $1 million dollars in all. He turned it in to the police the same day he found it. What an honest guy!

Anyway, I am unfortunately NOT a finder. I’m a loser (don’t quote me out of context on that one please). The only thing of value that I’ve ever found is my husband. There’s never been any question of whether to return something or keep it for myself – I’ve simply never found anything. I’m much more often the recipient of someone else’s kindness and honesty.

Over the years I’ve lost a beautiful silver watch (at the park when HH and I were on a date ), it was returned, the diamond out of my wedding ring.....still buried somewhere in the construction rubble of our current home, my car keys on occasions too numerous to count, my glasses, at least four hundred earrings, two black swimsuits a couple of years apart (? Still can’t figure that one out), one shoe (I have several l/2 pairs in my closet), books that I’ve been reading, laid down carefully so as not to lose my place, (really.....I literally came back to my chair a day later and the book was gone and I’ve NEVER found it..........it was "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck....I had to pay the library for it and I refuse to buy it to finish reading it because I know I’ll find it someday (I was on page 73).

Unfortunately there are lots more. Yup, there's no other word for it, I’m most definitely a loser. My dear HH and children have been kind to me, they are now trained to watch and remember where I put things. The other day I bought a present for my niece only to wrap it and not be able to find the receipt......luckily Daughter #3 remembered exactly where I put it.....inside the magazine on the front seat of the car....(so it wouldn’t get lost or wrinkled no doubt!)

Today I just want to thank all the "little" people in my life who have found things for me to save me the final insult of .....losing my mind.....while searching for something else!

Sure love ya!

Escape!!!!

Got a wonderful gift from my HH for the big FIVE OH! A day spa package. This is the second time in my life he's presented me with this....last time was 4 years ago for Valentine's Day...(it worked...I'm still his sweetheart!)

A friend of mine was concerned about whether or not it would be fun to have strangers pampering you all day....let me just say this.....ummmmm.. YEEEESSSSS!

It was a whole day of living the life of, I don't know, someone besides a middle aged midwestern housewife. The day began with a mineral shower which was warm, good smelling (aromatherapy abounds in this place) and totally relaxing then I got a detoxifying bodywrap where they put all kinds of good smelling oils on me and wrapped me all up in blankets and gave me a head/face/and neck massage. Then they left me alone for 20 minutes to "rest"....dark quiet room, soothing music, .....I fell asleep.

After that I sat in a big fluffy robe and drank flavored water in a little room while my body regained some hydration. Next they took me to a room for my full body massage (60 minutes!) and exfoliation.....it was pure heaven! I was as soft as a baby's bottom after the exfoliation (believe me I've felt a few babies bottoms in my day!) Then I had lunch....a real SPA lunch! It was little tiny food on a big plate with lots of colors and textures and a book to read....again this was in a little room all of my own.

The afternoon was spent getting a facial, having my brows waxed, getting a pedicure, manicure, haircut, shampoo, and style and at the end of the day they did a makeup makeover on me. This experience was one of the BEST of my life as far as a one day excursion. I'll take this any day over shopping, camping, hiking, rock-climbing....you name it! It IS expensive, I have to say that and it's not something I would ask for every year but once every 4 or 5 YOU BETCHA!!!

As for being "touched" by strangers......maybe this isn't for every'body' but it's definitely for MINE! The staff is all women, fairly young and very very competent. They didn't talk to me unless I indicated I wanted to talk by speaking first (most of the day I was in such a relaxed state that talking would have taken REAL effort and I just didn't bother). They were very professional and the whole thing is done with your comfort, and modesty, totally considered. I never felt the least bit uncomfortable.

The only hard part of the entire day was getting in my car to go meet HH for dinner....I was so relaxed I was afraid I wouldn't be able to drive!

I CANT WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN!!!! And feel free to use the link above to drop a hint to your sweetie on your next birthday...... you'll love me for it! : )

Attitude is everything!!!

Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEE! (slightly off key I know but the best I could do on short notice : ) )

First of all thanks to so many of you who wished me a happy birthday, surprisingly enough today I got up and didn't feel any different than yesterday (except perhaps some excited anticipation regarding piles of presents to be opened later in the day!.....I know I'm so superficial). And thank you for being so upbeat and positive. Blogging, (and READING blogs) has added a new happy moment in my day.

I truly believe that age might just be a state of mind and so I've written a little something to remind myself.....

Try to stay positive, it gets harder each day
Fifty’s darn OLD, or so "people" say
You’re past middle age, the clock’s starting to tick
There’s nothing much for it, you ain’t no spring chick!

There’s gray on those hairs you’re tryin’ to hide
I’ve noticed awhile, and I’m on YOUR side.
Although you’ve tried running, you tire out fast
And stretching and lifting surely can’t last.

They say useful life ends at 40 or so,
Once the body slows down, the mind starts to go.
But I’m telling you now that I’m going to fight
"Old enough" also means that I know my rights!

I don’t have to take this, at least not lying down,
I can still "cut a rug" and go "out on the town".
I’m still able to walk, ....some days even jog!
I’m not some old bump who just sits on a log.

I’m going to stay active, (in spite of these knees)
I’ll take bunches of vitamins, & load up on the B’s.
I’ll drink gallons of water and get all my zzzzz’s
Morning’s I’ll rise, and do...well..... whatever I please!

The wrinkles are permanent, but attitude isn’t
And starting today, I’m outta this prison.
I’m denying the numbers, defying my age
I’ll go out and do something daring and brave.

I’ll go buy a ticket to somewhere extreme
A tropical island, that one in my dreams!
I’ll wear a ....(modest) bikini!......and lay in the sun
My tan’ll be great, I’ll be having fun!

Attitude’s everything ...that’s been crammed in my head
So I’m smiling and chatting....like I’m NOT almost dead,
I’m gonna stay positive, so others can see
The woman within....That’s the one that is Me!

I’m not just fifty on Wednesday, March 29
I’m Happy, I’m Healthy, and I’m doing just fine!
The bikini might be just a pipedream today
But the attitude isn’t, boy, it’s here to stay.

So get ready world, it’s now second half
And Helen’s not THAT old, nor is she yet daft!
There’s plenty to do and even more I can say...
So get with the party or get out of my way!!

I’m going to move into this next phase of life,
And consider it my favorite , no worries, no strife.
Lots time to do good, work hard, and still say
So what’s the big deal?! It’s ONLY A DAY!!!

Happy Birthday To Me!!!
(Please send Presents!)

Sure Love Ya!

Things Have Changed....

Okay today is my last day of being 49! (Unless I start lying which I'm seriously considering) I noticed immediately when I put my age into the eliptical trainer this morning to get my target heart range of 145.....tomorrow I only have to hit 144! Whew, it’ll be so easy!

I was thinking about all the things that change as you get older...namely your perspective!
Here are just a few observations along those lines:

1. When HH and I started dating my dad was 46 and my mom was 43..... you know, really really OLD!!!

2. I used to wear powder to absorb the excess oil on my skin, now I use nighttime moisturizer, daytime moisturizer and avoid powder like the plague because it tends to puddle in my wrinkles!

3. I used to have to watch what I eat or I’d gain weight, now I have to watch what I think about!


4. One hour a day of exercise was sufficient well into my 40's now one hour of exercise is not only sufficient, but also miraculous (Whew, I’m still alive!)



5. I used to love old movies, now I feel like I AM an old movie (I swear I see Betty Davis when I look in the mirror some mornings).


6. I used to have back pain from carrying a baby on one hip all day, now, good grief, I have it when I get out of BED!

7. One of my favorite games used to be spinning in circles till I got dizzy and fell down, now I’m afraid to do a cartwheel, (I could break a HIP!).

8. I’ve actually caught myself thinking "having a golf cart could be fun!" (OH, MY GOSH!)



9. I married a man five years younger than me so he could care for me into old age.....I’m now worried, AND convinced , we’re both in the same boat.....aching, creaking, getting up stiffly after sitting in a two hour movie....you know OLD PEOPLE STUFF! I’m thinking I’m in serious trouble here.

10. I couldn’t wait for the kids to grow up so I had time to do things, now I wish they were home so I could do things with them!

Well, now I’m thoroughly depressed so I’m going to go do something fun while I’m still young enough to enjoy it.

"Old age ain't no place for sissies."
Bette Davis

Sure Love Ya!

One Great Book!....

I finished reading “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom, a true story and my new favorite. I had so many people tell me not to read it because it was depressing so I had put it off for …well, years. Even Daughter #3 read it before me (she read it in 6th grade!). Anyway, it was our featured book for book club this month and I am SO glad I read it. I didn’t find it depressing at all, in fact I found it completely inspiring and uplifting. I know I will read it again and again. I’m looking for it in hardback so I can put it in our home library.

Without giving away the whole book, one of my favorite parts is when Corrie and her sister Betsie are sent to a new concentration camp, conditions there are worse than at any place previous and the barracks they are assigned is by far the worst of the entire camp.

There are hundreds of women crammed into one room which is filled with wooden piers stacked three high, with not even enough room between layers to sit up, these “sleeping quarters” are infested with lice and fleas, it is the most dismal of circumstances yet Corrie and her sister try to find something in this place to be thankful for.

They believe the scriptures they read daily…. and as they look around the crowded, filthy room they struggle for understanding and guidance, some kind of peace to get them through this latest ordeal, That very morning they finished reading First Thessalonians and now recall a passage….”rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus…” so in great faith they begin to pray, thanking God for preserving their lives, keeping them together, helping them to arrive without their bible being confiscated, they thank Him for a barracks packed so tightly with women that more can hear as they read, and finally they thank Him for the fleas, not knowing why, just knowing they should thank Him in “ALL circumstances”, and as fleas are a part of this place they humbly give thanks. (Let me say here that I don’t think I’d have the faith to do it….these were awesome women!)

It isn’t until quite a lot later in their story that they discover they have more freedom than others in the camp, their barracks is largely left alone by the guards, they have no surprise inspections, they are free to read the bible morning and night, they can comfort one another and the sick are often able to stay in their beds …. And all of this because Barracks 28 is infested with fleas and the guards won’t enter. Corrie and her sister are in awe of God’s way of protecting them even in the worst of Germany’s concentration camps.

The whole book is filled with many small miracles, I would give away the story if I told you anymore but I can tell you this, my outlook on life after reading this book has changed a hundred fold. Even my scripture reading this morning seemed more meaningful.

If you’ve never read it I highly recommend it, if you’ve read it before. it’s worth reading again. What a great, great book!

Sure Love Ya!

Notes from a reformed "hollerer"..... : )

Those of you who found my blog thru my daughter’s (Ciao Bella.....aka Nutella!) know that yesterday I, along with the other noble women in our family, was ousted as a "hollerer". I feel the need to defend myself here....I USED (not hollering here just emphasizing!) to be a "hollerer" now I’m more of a "only holler when it’s really important" kinda person. Like if your daughter is going to back off a cliff in her car or.....stab herself with a fork.......or throw her bathrobe on the floor instead of hang it up.....I mean you have to catch her quick......thereby requiring a good holler. It’s not like everything I say is in capital letters....just the important stuff.

Now you can go back to believing that I’m the sweet, mild-tempered, lovable person you’ve come to know over these past two months. Hollerer reformed..........end of story.

I have no doubt that "Nutella" will find herself going through the same kind of metamorphosis as she progresses from married without children, through married WITH children, and on to married with no children at home.

The need for a good "primordial" scream comes and goes with circumstance if you know what I mean. I just no longer face the same kind of challenges....my techniques for dealing with the stress in life run more toward removing myself from the ummmmm.... aggravation..... which I realize is much harder with little tots dependent upon your care.

Stress now comes, more often than not, because I both work AND live, with my "boss" (aka HH). Although I try to make sure the boundary between Boss and Husband is clearly delineated, there are times it becomes blurred. In his role as "Boss" he sometimes has to point out the occasional (VERY seldom) error in my work...being a diligent employee, I of course, accept his criticism cheerfully, without question .............. and then take the rest of the day off to pout.....I mean go shopping.

I expect, upon my return, to be greeted by my "husband" not my "Boss", who will then ask me in the most interested way...."How was the shopping honey?" "Were they having good sales?" "Did you find that perfect pair of shoes you’ve been looking for or did you have to settle for something else.....like last time?" To which I can reply "I DID find the perfect shoes AND a perfect outfit TOO isn’t that wonderful, thank you so much for asking!" We will then retire to the living room to enjoy an evening together in perfect harmony and bliss.

Okay so maybe that’s not exactly how it works.......the shopping part is true.

I have friends who ask me "How can you work for your husband?" (Note: emphasis is on the word "Husband" here, not the word "Your") I tell them it’s easier than I ever imagined. When I worked outside the home and got mad at my boss there was no way I could ever tell him unless I wanted to jeopardize any future promotion.......Now, not only does my boss know I’ll tell him when I’m mad, .....he also knows dinner might be .....well, a bit late.

There are all the little perks too, when I want the day off I take it, when he wants the day off I get the day off then too,...... perfect! When I get tired of sitting at my desk I can go take a walk (or a NAP!). I can take 2 hours for lunch or come in late. I can work from 8 to 5, or 5 to 8 (or 5 to 5:30).

Business lunches are now ONLY with people I like (HH, that means you), I don’t have to worry about sharing a room on overnight trips (in fact I look forward to it), office dress is casual, corporate restructuring means I’m rearranging my desk today. If I want a raise I remind the boss how much I’m worth (then graciously accept a pay cut.....just kidding).

I’m recognized for every achievement no matter how small, my office "feels like home", AND I’ve been employee of the month 142 times!!!


Sure Love Ya!

Out of the mouth of babes.....

Ciao Bella (aka Nutella) has finally posted again and the snippet she included from her DH’s diary as a young boy brought back some fond memories .... (I’m making an assumption here that his reference to the new home not being "the doby" was because he was confused about "a"dobe houses.) .

"Nutella" was in 2nd grade when we discovered that many of the words in her, large for a 2nd grader, vocabulary weren’t even real words! We didn’t know this until she started spelling. One of her first impromptu spelling tests included a word marked incorrect ....."draff".....typical for her, she was quite indignant when she brought it home because she KNEW that’s how you spell it (I was pretty sure the teacher was right but I had NO idea what the word was supposed to be and couldn’t begin to convince HER she was wrong). I believe it was a good hour before we understood ....through drawing some pictures....that the actual word she was supposed to have spelled was "giraffe"......all those trips to to zoo and she thought we were saying "Honey, look at the beautiful DRAFF" Ha! Ha! HA! Too funny.........poor kid.

I’m fairly sure her hearing has always been fine but there is that question about the word smile. In all her younger pictures she’s making a weird face ..... when she got old enough to explain it to us she said "Well, everytime you wanted to take my picture you’d say "SMELL"! (DUH!)


Reminiscing about, (aka making fun of) the children’s faux pas over the years, has been a great source of entertainment for those not being ....errrrr.....reminisced about.

Daughter #2 (stop reading here sweetie or you’ll get your undies in a knot) provided one of our favorites. We went on many vacations to Disneyworld when the children were young and invariably when leaving a ride the "Automated Disney Voice" would remind you to gather your belongings and exit to your left. She....in her sweet little girl way....tried to help us by foreverafter reminding us to "gather your baloneys everybody we’re leavin’!" Unfortunately for her we still have to use this one whenever we’re with her. (Love ya honey! NEVER leave home without your baloneys!)


I hate to keep picking on her but she (daugher #2) was also the one who couldn’t get ANY lyrics right for ANY song....some of our favorites were her renditions of "Baby, Baby Crockett....king of the wild frontier", and "If you’re gonna live in Texas you gotta have a fire in your van, The meat ‘n tar is hot (huh?)but not for a Looooosiannnna maaaaaan!"


Grammy reminded me of one the other day when she said her FHE’s were once fondly known as "Family Home Evilings. Daughter #3 in true spirit of the occasion at our home, always thought Family Home Evening was Family Home Eating! (Always emphasize the best part, was her motto!)


We’re going way back here but I remember my little sister asking my Grandpa if he still had his "wolf" teeth. After some questioning and explanations on both sides she finally exclaimed "Oh, silly me, I meant your "FOX" (false)teeth".....not too bad except she continued....... "my primary teacher was sooooooo confused!" (I can imagine....."You should see my grandpa smile when he’s wearing his wolf teeth, it’s really somethin’!)

Aren’t children great! Without ‘em we’d be walking around with a one dimensional view of everything!

Sure Love Ya!

I have a question....

Why is it that today, the day I need to prepare a funeral salad (I guess more properly put it would be "a salad for a funeral dinner" but you know what I mean) the quality control people at the rotini factory have let me down?

I've fixed pasta salad dozens of times....pretty little curls of artificially colored, high carb, mostly durum wheat, mixed with various good for you cruciferous (and non) veggies. How come this morning when I cooked the pasta and poured it out to drain I find not JUST the little curly pasta but macaroni?

I'm not a perfectionist, I admit it, I would gladly have left the little invaders in there except that macaroni, as every good cook knows, does not cook as fast as rotini. SO the morning of a funeral I'm reduced to factory worker status as I spend 20 minutes fishing out every single little elbow shaped noodle from about 30 pounds of cooked rotini. Very tedious, time-consuming work....which leaves me with only a moment to post a quick blog to pose some other unanswered questions.

Why do hot dogs come in packs of 10 and hot dog buns in packs of 8?

Why do people say "The alarm just went off" when really it just came on?

What is the point in saying "may I ask" and then follow it up with a question?

When a pack of gum says that each piece is 10 calories, is that amount just chewing the gum, or just for swallowing it?

How do "do not walk on grass" signs get there?

When people say, "I’m so tired it's not even funny" or "my head hurts so much it's not even funny", why would it even be funny in the first place?

Why is there that little space inside strawberries, as if it was meant for a pit, and then the seeds are all on the outside?

Why is it when we talk to God we are praying, but when God talks to us we are put into the loony bin?

Why do companies offer you "free gifts?" Since when has a gift NOT been free?

If overalls are held up by the snaps at the top, then why do they have belt loops?

Why is Charlie short for Charles if they are both the same number of letters?

Since bread is square, then why is sandwich meat round?

What disease did "cured" ham have before it was .... well ......"cured"?

What happens when you say “hi” to your friend on an airplane and his name is Jack?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

AND what I really Want to Know.....

Why do they call the small candy bars the "fun sizes"? Wouldn't be more fun to eat a big one? (Trust me it is!)

Sure Love Ya!

The voices in my head.....

I think everyone should have chocolate for breakfast once in a while. Not just "hot chocolate" I mean REAL chocolate like "Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake" (Tell me this doesn't look good!)

.....it's sitting right there on my counter this morning taunting me. And the war in my head begins..
"Wow, there's cake left!"
"You know better than that, do you really want to go back out and run again this morning....huh?....I didn't think so"
"Well, I could eat it now and run harder tomorrow"
"Yeah, like you'll really do that Ha Ha!"
"Not to be rude but , shut up"
"Chocolate cake isn't good for you"
"Who says?"
"THEY do"
"Who's they?"
"The same people who say you get pinched on St. Patty's day if you don't wear green (see Jessica's Post)"
"Oh, well they're probably the same people who make up the "ideal weight charts" and post them on the internet to torture us.....and frankly, my dear, I just don't trust them"

I'm not going to eat the cake, but it's not because They won the war, it's because if I eat the cake HH will know I ate it (because we're the only two people in the house) and I'm more afraid of peer pressure, (he hears my daily laments regarding the threat of encroaching fatness) than I am of their criticism!

The war over chocolate cake is similar to my daily battle to get out of bed at 5:30 ....What, you might ask, would be a good enough reason to get out of bed at that hour? EXACTLY my point! I get up that early so I can get in an hour of exercise before getting Daughter #3 ready for school. Let me tell you, leaving a warm bed to go outside to the cold garage and face the treadmill and weight machine is NOT the most enticing temptation going. I usually spend at least 5 minutes telling myself I really don't want to do it, and then another 5 (okay so I don't REALLY get UP at 5:30) convincing myself that if I don't I won't be able to wear anything in my closet! Weak motivation but motivation nonetheless.

Frankly, with the threat of being "50" looming on the very near horizon, I'm getting more than a little worried about those "voices". Not so much about them being there (they're rather like familiar old friends now) , but about them taking over completely so that I can't make a decision without a good 10 minute head start. I'm going to look pretty silly standing stock still in front of the dairy case with skim milk in one hand and heavy cream in the other while "they" make alternate arguments for low-carb vs. low-fat diets! It's maddening I tell you, and probably the logical by-product of too much information.

In my grandma's day I know the major question she had at breakfast (because I was there) was whether to serve cream on our oatmeal (warm right from the cow....and frankly still smelling a tad bit like "old bossy"), or save it to make butter later. It wasn't a question of whether bacon was good for you, it was a question of whether you had any in the smokehouse. Green Beans vs. mashed potatoes?...easy, is it Spring or Fall? That's what's changed....we just have way too much, which means way too many choices.

I'd like to say I'm ready to give up my life of ease to avoid the really "hard" decisions regarding nutrition but I'm pretty sure "they" would know I'm lying and I'd be hearing about it for the rest of the day!

"Okay, okay! I'm going to go do something productive right NOW!, nobody ever got the laundry done by writing blogs all day! (or so they're telling me)"

Sure Love Ya!

A Friend InDeed....

Wow! I had no time to blog today! Sadly this will get harder and harder unless I find a different time of the day to do it (i.e. NOT during the day). April and May are the MOST hectic time of the year for one Vice-President of the company ….....that’s me! (No need to mention that the President of our corporation (dear HH) is the only OTHER full-time employee!) I just LOVE being “titled”.

We lost a friend over the weekend, a dear old permanent fixture of the ward known to all as “Jake” (we never knew why, as his name was Maurice….). The strange nickname thing kind of ran in their family, his wife is known as Adelene and her name is Hildreth, his sister-in-law was called Mary but her name was Pat….. ANYWAY (how did I end up on that path again) he will be missed SO much.

I met Jake when he was young and we had just moved to the ward. He and some of the elders came over to help us stain our log home….he was hard at work in the uppermost reaches of the second story when we heard a clatter, a loud bang and a muffled scream…..everyone dropped what they were doing and ran toward the gable end of the house to find that “frail” 75 year old man dangling upside down, knee over one rung, on the underside of a ladder 20 feet in the air, stain covering him from head to foot and the bucket and brush still in one hand!…..He scared the daylights out of us but didn’t miss a beat, just got a hand down and went right back to work.

He has left quite a legacy behind ….. as long as I have known him I’ve been greeted by the same three words “Sure Love Ya”, and a bear hug….this greeting wasn’t just for the pretty girls
of the ward but anyone and everyone, young and old, male and female, healthy or
infirm, Bishop or custodian….all were the same to him and he loved us all. There wasn’t a set of missionaries who ever left our ward without learning and assimilating into their conversation those words. I’m sure by now it’s like the old Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Game, Whenever I hear “Sure Love Ya!” I know there’s been some connection to Jake…. What better way to be remembered than for loving everyone.

FHE was tonight, AND it was my night, I spent quite a bit of time today preparing (another reason my blogging got behind) but taught a fairly good lesson (thanks to all those internet sources) on “It’s What’s Inside that Counts” ….we had cream puffs for dessert( get it?)! YUM!!!! (I usually pick the dessert I’m hungry for then find something spiritual to tie it in with…..I know….weak….but hey, it’s my system and it works for me!)

Over the years we’ve had lessons on “Types and Shadows” ….(given around Groundhog Day) with Groundhog Pudding for dessert (dirt cup with Teddy Graham “groundhog”);

“Hearts of the Children Turned to Their Fathers (geneology….duh), with brownie heart pops for dessert,

"Life can be Hard" ....you guessed it English Toffee,

"Making a House a Home" .... gingerbread houses

Anyway you get the general idea. I'm still looking for lessons to go with these wonderful recipes from my International Cookbook if you can help me out: Singin’ Hinnies, Orkney Broonies, and Kentish Huffkins (Can't wait to use that last one! REALLY....half the fun is seeing the looks on their faces when I try to "tie in the dessert" so help me out here!)

Sure Love Ya!

Someone's watching....

Today I had to spend some time at the license branch…..four years have just flown by let me tell you! I was also horrified to have to admit that I now weigh 24 (TWENTY FOUR!!!) pounds more than I did in 2002! (that in addition to being 4 years older is just about all I can take in one day) Good Grief, I’m going to have to do something about that (I guess there’s always the possibility I “fibbed” last time ……...because I did this time!). Anyway there were some things I noticed while I was sitting there waiting with my little number in hand.

1. Everyone in there looked like they were mad or depressed … is it because it’s the license branch or is this really a representation of the mood of Americans (I mean it’s pretty much a true “random sample”) It made me put a smile on my face (see I was no different than they!).
   
2. All the teenagers that came in (about 4 while I was there) were GROUCHY! They were also RUDE to their parents! I would think this would be the time they’d be really happy (they’re getting a license for crying out loud….new freedoms await). I’d also assume that they would be TRYING to let mom and dad see how much they deserve a driver’s license. I’m telling you it was weird and scary. I don’t want to meet ANY of them on the highway.
   
3. Nobody is still the same weight they were 4 years ago (it’s certainly not a private place there and I now know exactly how much a whole bunch of strangers weigh …same rules of “fibbing” probably apply so I’ll add 10 percent) and not one of us has LOST weight in four years….

Maybe Item #1 is in direct correlation to Item #3?! Anyway, as I was sitting there listening to people talk to the clerks I was saddened by the general lack of manners and, most of all patience. It made me think of the speech from Daughter #3’s academic excellence convocation…..Maybe you have all heard these but I wanted to share them because they’re just so good…..

The Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

by Dr. Kent M. Keith


Yup…..we are all just human and we’re going to disappoint others and they will disappoint us but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep trying to do, and be, the best person possible (people are watching us whether we know it or not….I want to give them happy thoughts!)

Have a great weekend! Sure Love Ya!

Husband's .... can't live without 'em (and don't want to try!)

Due to the nature of HH’s job I spend a few unscheduled weeks every year without my husband. He’s an FBAN (Fire Behavior Analyst), in the language of regular people this means he’s the guy who predicts what wildfire will do next. Kind of a fortune teller for the fire community. (Interestingly enough he’s not very good at predicting home disasters).

Because of these absences I’ve come to really appreciate my husband, AND to understand (completely) the "Firefighter Family Law" which is....."Anything that is going to malfunction, break down, make strange noises in the night, bite the children, infest the house, or threaten our family sanity will occur approximately 35 minutes AFTER aforementioned firefighter has left cell phone range".

When HH is called to a fire it is generally understood and accepted by all that he will leave as close to immediately as his ability, sans-super hero powers, can accommodate. This results in me trying desperately to ask him all important questions while following him from room to room as he packs. Instructions given, while useful in their own right, NEVER address what will REALLY happen when he’s gone.

At the risk of sounding like I’m complaining, which I’m not, O.K. I am, here are just a few of the things that have happened over the years.

• Smoke alarm malfunctions - Symptoms: goes off intermittently (not beeping mind you....I’m talking full out siren mode) for no reason, usually in the middle of the night....and several times per night (our smoke alarms are wired in) removing the batteries does absolutely nothing, however ripping the thing off the wall is fairly effective....we try to stay clear of the wires now dangling from hole in the wall till HH returns.
• Septic tak reversal results in strange smell in the house - repairman called - fixed problem, left sewage – and smell (of course we have no idea he has left all the sewage in the crawl space until HH returns some weeks later and we have stopped inviting friends over for dinner).
• Car window on drivers side malfunctions at McDonalds and decides NOT to roll up - we pray for dry weather.
• Daughter #2 is bitten by "friends" dog – they are "pretty sure" he has had his shots. Luckily she lives.
• Children contract chicken pox and other diseases making them unfit to go to babysitter, mom stays home to care for them while on "vacation" from work.
• Babysitter goes on vacation, another "vacation" for mom.
• Burglar alarm (apparently taking it’s cue from the smoke alarm) decides to go off every time we open the door, unable to disarm it we spend two days on the phone troubleshooting the thing while being held prisoners in (and BY) our own home.
• Stone mason contracted (months ago) to cut large hole in living room wall and build beautiful real masonry fireplace decides to come at exactly the moment that twin hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit coast resulting in HH heading off to work (30 day assignment.) Projected by mason to take 7-10 days job lasts a full 67 days and HH arrives home in time to instruct the complete "re-construct" of the 20,000 lb rock chimney which has been done wrong.
• Coyotes decide to visit front porch and eat cat food – discovered by mom and kids when we decide to leave the house one night – both parties equally surprised and terrified.
• Hot tub experience deteriorates as we detect strange "swamp" odor and cold water....we discover electrical mystery (hot tub trips breaker whenever it cycles off or on) is solved immediately when HH returns home and simply resets it (of course I feel the need to mention I did this SEVERAL times to no avail).
• Mother mouse finds her way into our previously "mouse-free" home, eludes cat and takes up residence in the piano – NOTE: Mother mouse and approx 20 babies appear comfortable enough in said piano to remain there until HH gets home.
• Biggest snowfall ever occurs 1 day after HH is called to help with space shuttle recovery in Texas. Wife handles situation by hiring extended family member to plow 1/4 mile driveway....family member refuses to ever return to do this job again after spending most of a day just FINDING the path of the driveway through our thick woods in 3 foot deep snow. We are on speaking terms again however.
• Deep freeze quits working and goes unnoticed until Daughter #3 gets a fudgesicle craving and opens door. Quick thinking mother saves her from drowning in thawed popsicles, slimy fruit and hamburger juice.
  

Trust me, these are just a few things that have happened, but at this point in my story I’m feeling a bit uneasy (HH is currently gone for the week teaching a fire class in Chicago) and in need of some fresh air.....so assuming the car is working I think I’ll take myself out for lunch!

Coming soon .... to a Wal-Mart near you!

WELL! It was certainly a fun-filled and eventful day yesterday! I think I may have mentioned that I’d be back to my "real, somewhat scattered, distracted, and generally silly" self soon...well I’m back, it happened,...... unfortunately it happened in Wal-Mart.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to shop there for awhile (I’m going to have to find a new source for $3.50/box Chocolate Caramel Crunch Zone Bars).

I was going down the aisle looking for something (actually I had forgotten what I went there for and I already had the Zone bars) so I was a little pre-occupied anyway and my cell phone rang "Home Business May I Help You" I said in my most professional (trying to sound like I’m NOT shopping in Wal-Mart and having my calls forwarded) voice. "Mrs. Bright One, this is the Jr. High calling, Daughter #3 is sick, we have her resting but she thinks she might throw up" (translation, you had better leave Wal-Mart RIGHT NOW and get here before we have something nasty for you to clean up when you arrive). I assured them I’d ditch my cart and be there in 20 minutes (okay, so I didn’t actually TELL them I’d be ditching the cart but it was implied).

I was clear at the back of the store and quite frankly I had to go to the bathroom .....such a dilemma.....rush to school and risk "two unfortunate accidents" or take 3 seconds (or so) to go to the bathroom. Easy decision.

I never use the restrooms at the back of the store but I know they’re there (at my age you pretty much know the location of all bathrooms in all major shopping areas of the city). Anyway I dashed in.... "DRAT, only two stalls and both full!" (I know because I can see feet, ‘Boy those are big feet’, in both) "H......o......l....d O.....n, .......have they remodeled?"
"OH MY GOSH ARE THOSE URINALS?????!!!!!"

I’m not totally sure what and where security cameras record in Wal-Mart but IF they saw me, it couldn’t have been more than a BLUR from one bathroom to the other......my face was so hot I had to splash cold water on it before I could exit the bathroom (the WOMEN’s bathroom). I hated to leave too quickly in case I might run into "feet" I’d recognize but I decided to take off my coat, put on my sunglasses (simple, yet effective, disguise), and get the heck out of there before I could think any more about it. (I'll bet I have nightmares about this one!)

I never did go to the bathroom.

Daughter #3 recovered with a dose of Ibuprofen, a heating pad, and some couch time. Tonight we attended her Academic Awards Program...I’m proud of her.....she seems so much more like her dad than like me, not a smidgen of scatterbrain in her, at least none that has shown up as yet.....(quite possibly I carry the only recessive gene in the family pool).

Words of wisdom....

I had an afternoon visit from my M-I-L yesterday, our conversations usually run the gamut from bizarre to mildly annoying but yesterday was a more thought provoking day. She said she had been thinking about the fact that she might not be here to see her youngest grandchildren graduate from High School (she’s only 65 and the youngest will graduate in 13 years so I think she’s being a little premature but....anyway)

She told me she was trying to convince my F-I-L to put aside about $200 each so that as the grandkids graduate they can have a post mortem gift from Grandma and Grandpa.. It really is a nice gesture but it sure made me think about how much I miss all my Grandma’s and Grandpa’s and $200 wouldn’t even come close to covering it for me......money just isn’t the same as having their wisdom, you know? I wonder if I would have felt that way when I was 18? Would I rather have a letter from them telling me how proud they are of me and giving me some advice gleaned from their vast storehouse of experience.....or the two hundred bucks?......Ok, you’re right....I guess most teenagers, myself included, would rather have the money but SOMEDAY they’ll be sitting there wishing they could talk to grandma and grandpa about something.

I am lucky to have LOTS and LOTS of letters that my grandma wrote to me over the years, I saved most of them and she saved (and I now have) the letters I wrote to her. She gave me marital advice and parenting advice, recipes, tips on gardening and saving money, her thoughts of me (that I was oh so special) and my family, words of wisdom regarding politics, religion, books, work, vacations, parents, clothing, television shows and a million and one other things. I wouldn’t trade those letters now for any amount of money....really. She wrote one letter telling me all about how she fell in love with, and eventually married my Grandpa. She told me that nothing in the world can make up for being married to someone you can’t respect, look to for support, and consider your very best friend.


I have one letter she wrote after my grandpa died. She had been alone just a couple of months and she told me how very lonely she was, she said she just wished she had told him more often how much she loved him (and I know she told him frequently). She said that often she would wake up in the morning and if she laid very still and didn’t open her eyes she could feel him lying beside her in bed with his arms around her (then in her typical tongue-in-cheek fashion she wrote that on those days she didn’t get much done around the house.)



She told me once about her mother "coming to see her" several years after she passed away. Most people would think she was delusional but you’d have to know my grandma ....she was very practical and NEVER delusional. She said she had been so worried about many things, she was having a difficult time sleeping for several nights, she said she kept wishing she could call her mom and talk to her...that night she said she woke to see Great Grandma standing by the bed, when Grandma looked at her she knelt by the edge of the bed, put her hand on grandma’s head and told her not to worry anymore, that everything would be fine, that was the end of her worrying.

What a treasure it is to read her letters now. She kept a journal but I find it superficial for the most part. She wrote the daily happenings, perhaps what she bought at the store or what she wanted to buy at the store (she was a great shopper! ..... like me!), where they went for the weekend etc., but it is in her letters to me that she bares her soul and records memories and lessons that are invaluable to me now. I can’t imagine how I would feel without them I know I wouldn't remember even one tenth of what she wrote to me.

This is kind of a sad and melancholy blog today, sorry for that (tomorrow I'll be my silly self I'm sure) but just let it remind you how important the things you leave behind can be.....don’t let it just be the sofa, the china cupboard and two hundred dollars. Bless you all today.

Be afraid....be very afraid......

My Grandma used to say "Hiccups are a sign of a healthy baby", I wonder what it means for a 50 year old? I’ve had the hiccups for two days!!! Off and on all day yesterday and still this morning....I’ve read about people who set records and have them for months....oh, please don’t let me set a record! They are most annoying when you’re "hic" on the "hic" phone, I’m quite happy that lying down seems to alleviate them and at least I could sleep "hic" last night.

I think I’ve got the beginnings of an irrational fear ... diaphragmus contractiphobia. I hate to be overly dramatic here (me....never!)but I can’t think of a worse fate than having the "hic" hiccups for the next two months....well maybe I can think of........ one.....(having a miller in my hair while trapped in a car driving on an interstate with nowhere to pull over....miller dust flying.....hairy little antennas slapping against my face........little black eyes staring into my own....one of us fearing death by entrapment.....the other death by....dust?) Okay, I’m sorry .... I’m calm, everything is fine I’ll be alright, I’m in my own safe little office, no millers in sight.....life is good. (Geez look at the size of that thing.....it's a HAND it's sitting on for goodness sake!!!)

I’ve never been particularly fearful...well maybe a little...it took me several years (and a few bad misses) to overcome the fear that something was lurking under my bed. The flying long jumps from the light switch (why DO they put those things clear across the room) to my bed as a teen became something of a nightime ritual. But at least "my" fears are rational.....I mean who isn’t afraid that if you put your hand into the garbage disposal to get the spoon it will spontaneously start of it’s own accord?

People are afraid of all kinds of things, my mom is your typical arachnaphobic.....spiders are her worst nightmare, little, big, they are all the same to her and a cobweb sends her into absolute panic because she knows a spider built the thing but she has no idea where "HE" is now!

I had a good friend who was terrified, I mean absolutely "pee your pants" terrified, of birds...she couldn’t walk by a tree for fear there’d be a bird in it waiting to fly out and ....well you know how birds are......who really knows WHAT they’ll do to you. She couldn’t even eat chicken or sleep on a "feather" pillow, her fear was so complete.

"Nutella" was (is?) afraid of gorillas, monkeys, Orangutans, any overly hairy bi-pedal type. I’m fairly sure it stemmed from an incident when she was small....a friend of mine came to the door on Halloween dressed as a Gorilla (really a great suit!)to "surprise" us. Nutella answered the door and screamed bloody murder! I ran to the living room to find her absolutely beside herself jumping up and down, screaming, her face pale, her hands trembling. He came in and, in an effort to calm her, took the head off the suit..........I thought she was going to faint......she ran back and forth from me to the door screaming "A MONKEY ATE TIMMMMMMM!!!! A MONKEY ATE TIM!!!! Never could stand any type of primate after that, in fact another friend made her a sock monkey and felt terrible when Nutella unwrapped it only to scream "Kill it! Kill it! Hurry! AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!" She wasn’t happy till I rewrapped it and buried it in the back yard.


Daughter number 2 (now 18 years old) is afraid of dolls....we’re not sure where that came from but she refuses to sleep in a room if there’s a doll in there with her and even putting them in the closet isn’t a good enough solution, they have to be bound, boxed and sent to an undisclosed location (If she knows where "they" are then "they" know where she is....BWAAA HAAAA HAAAA HAAAA HAAAA!). It really is sad. I hope she doesn’t have little girls.



As far as I know daughter #3 only has one fear and that’s Squirrels. We DO have a lot of squirrels around our house and they DO tend to be large, fast, and sneaky but to my knowledge they have never chased, bitten or tortured her so I’m not sure why she’s afraid of them. I’ve asked her before but all she can come up with is that they "Look scary and have big teeth" .


Before my totally rational fear of millers I was only afraid of mice (oh yeah, and maybe that thing lurkiing under my bed) . I went to work one day and opened my desk drawer to find that "something" had chewed it’s way through all my snacks, there were little mouse.....ummmmm....tracks all over the place and even my Sucrets (remember those things...for sore throats?)had been sucked on by little rodent tongues. I called the maintenance man to ask him to come up and set some traps and right at that moment the little hairy monster ran out of one of the open drawers, hopped to the floor and scurried (that’s what they do they "scurry") right across my foot! Of course I screamed (with phone in hand this nearly deafened the poor maintenance guy) and he said (in a pretty darn sarcastic tone, I might add) "Well ma’am maybe I should bring my gun." Ha, Ha! Very funny!

Well, "hic" I guess if I consider all the "hic" things out there to be afraid of "hic" having the hiccups isn’t really all that bad. Have a "hic" nice day, go out and "hic" conquer those "hic" fears!

We got no babies today.....

Nutella’s not pregnant!



I had to laugh out loud at my daughter’s post yesterday, if you haven’t enjoyed her comic style now is the time....she’s too funny!

When "Nutella" told us she was getting married we hadn’t even met JD (she’s a great chooser though!)....they had been dating for about 7 or 8 months when she called with the news that she was engaged....they live over 1600 miles away and they started getting serious over the summer which is during the time that my HH is busy fighting forest fires and we can’t go many places. I remember people saying things like "How do you like him?" to which I’d have to reply "I love him....because she loves him .... but I haven’t met him yet." Of course it is a hard thing to explain to those not of our faith that I had complete confidence in her to choose a perfect mate for herself. After all, she made this decision with lots of prayer and fasting, he was a worthy temple-recommend holder, a returned missionary, and he loved my daughter....what’s there not to love?! I’ve spent many an evening explaining that I would never trust MY ability to choose a husband for any of my daughters but I trust the Lord without a doubt! If they pray about it and He says okay, then I’m just the happy mom-in-law!

I remember one conversation that went something like this:

"I heard Patti is getting married!"
"Yes, she’s so happy"
"That was sudden wasn’t it?............(loooooong pause, raised eyebrows).......is she pregnant?"
"Heavens No!!!!!" "They’re getting married in the temple!"
"What’s a temple?"......

It just goes to show you that things that seem perfectly obvious to some are not at all obvious to others! Anyway, just as I expected the Lord and Patti made a perfect decision and those two are happy, happy, happy. Of course all couples have adjustments, disagreements, and disappointments but as long as you keep both mules at the same end of the cart (hopefully the front end) you’ll get where you’re going just fine! (Not that either of you are mules sweetie!)


Now, after two plus years together they are talking a lot about providing us with grandchildren (See how this becomes all about me!) ....I can’t wait, both because it’s an exciting new phase in our lives, and because people are starting to talk.........while trying to choose the perfect chocolate from a local Chocolatier not long ago the salesguy (I have no more respect for him than to call him that) said "Why not buy this large assortment box .... you can share it with your grandchildren" To which HH and I replied in perfect unison "WE don’t have grandchildren, we’re much too young!....(DUH!!! That should be obvious!!!)" (Not your BEST salesman if you know what I mean). Since that time we’ve been thinking we’d best be getting some grandchildren if people are going to think we have them anyway.

Nutella’s dream reminded me of one I had 24 years ago...........that I got pregnant, three times.....had three beautiful daughters.....and they grew up to be beautiful, intelligent, happy, healthy and righteous......

Hey, that wasn’t a dream......that really happened!

I’m so blessed!

Snapshots....just a "little" picture....

I've been thinking......scary I know.....................thinking about parenting. Dr. Phil got me wondering the other day if I would be willing to let someone ....say Dr. Phil ....come into my home and install a video camera (yes, people DO this!!). I'd probably say sure...my life is good, I'm an okay parent, maybe people could learn from me .... (or something stupid like that). Anyway, what if the camera came on randomly recording for several minutes only to shut off and come on again at another random time and so on throughout the day....

I'm getting a picture here of an evening in about 1994....daughter number two sitting on the couch watching TV with dad and mentioning that her tooth was loose....dad checks, sure enough it's loose, he begins (like he's done this a million times before) talking about the tooth fairy, inflation and how the price of teeth has gone up since the last time she lost a tooth. She looks at him with terror in her little six year old eyes, turns to me and starts yelling at the top of her lungs "Don't let him", "Oh, please, please, please, mommy .....DOOOOONNNNNTTTTT LET HIM HURRRRRRTTTTTT MEEEEEE!", and moves to my side of the room for "protection".

Two or three days later she sits wiggling her tooth in front of the TV, dad comes in and she starts to cry, (note he hasn't said a thing or touched her yet), "Daddy, it's not loose yet, it'll hurt, please don't pull it".....Daddy explains that he wouldn't consider pulling a tooth that wasn't ready! In fact he'd never pull a tooth unless it fell out all by itself just tying a string around it ..... "How about it? How about if we just try tying a string around it and see if it falls out?" (Daughter number 2 falls for it, a string is located, tied in a little slip knot and readied for the tiny little tooth)

Daddy heads for the tooth with string in hand but alas the task is not going to be as easy as all that, childs hands fly to face to cover mouth, daddy lunges and gets there first, she begins to cry, he tries to cajole, she starts to kick and scream, he tries in vain to hold her calmly (it's now become a matter of some difficulty, the string is tight, and not long enough to get him out of range of the flailing arms and legs) this goes on for several minutes and finally seeing that nothing "too terrible" has yet happened (other than daddy's bruised shins and spit covered shirt) she calms and he tries to tempt her with all the things she can buy with tooth fairy money,.... new tappy shoes! "I like MY tappy shoes", "How about a bike" .... "I can't ride a bike (silly), I'd fall and hurt myself", "How about some candy"...."Grandpa will bring me some tomorrow"...."Well there must be something you'd like"...."Not if you're going to pull my tooth"...."Sweetie, really it won't hurt, I promise " ...with that he gives the string a little tug and the tooth comes loose, she of course begins to scream (MUCH louder than necesssary I assure you) ...unfortunately the "tug" had a little more force behind it than was necessary (as usual by the time we could get close to a loose tooth in this little girl's mouth it was literally falling out of her head and a new one was coming in behind it)....so when he jerked the string the tooth sailed across the room....... straight into the cold air return for the furnace,.......we never found it.

She had complete hysterics, positive the tooth fairy would never find it there (thank heaven for a tooth fairy with "special powers" who not only found it but left a premium due to the ease of retrieval.....no sneaking around dark bedrooms and feeling around under pillows, thank you so much!).

Just thinking about that episode convinces me that had we had a camera recording the scene and it came on during the time she was pleading with me not to let him hurt her, or the part where he's holding her, kicking and screaming with blood pouring out of her mouth you'd think we were the worst parents in the world....mean, uncaring, cruel.....I don't think I'd want my life looked at in snapshots......the big picture is much more truthful, valuable, worthwhile.

We generally go through life taking things at face value, judging people by the situations we see them in....just little snapshots of life. The 'perfect' family that sits in front of us every week at church, the 'beautiful' woman clean and polished at 8:00 a.m., the 'mean' mom speaking harshly to her toddler at the grocery store, the impatient store clerk (obviously just 'ill-tempered'). If we saw the whole picture I wonder if we wouldn't feel differently toward others ..... if we could see what God sees maybe we'd even feel differently toward ourselves!

Maybe just for today I'll try to be the person my Heavenly Father sees in me, and not the person I think I am, the one full of faults and past mistakes, the one with little patience and big hips, short memory and loose lips. Maybe today I'll be the daughter who is like her Father, happy , loving, giving, kind, tolerant, and good......in spite of my "moments". Yup, today I am SO there!

Anxiously Engaged....

I couldn’t wait to post today because of a couple of things that happened yesterday. Number one I was inspired by DYM’s post regarding lists and that started me thinking about all the lists I carry around in my head (that would be more effective if I wrote them down). Number two I read an article in LDS Living Magazine last night about being ‘anxiously engaged’.

When Nutella went to college she totally inspired me one day by saying...."I pray every day that I will find someone I can help somehow"....since that day I’ve tried to do the same thing. Most days I’m successful, even if it’s something small.

What this pursuit has resulted in is a kind of mental list that I carry around that helps me achieve this goal...it looks something like this:

5 Minutes or less

• Write a personal note of thanks, appreciation, gratitude or cheer to someone.
• Give a hug, a smile, a compliment.
• 
  Be the one to "yield" (not just in a driving situation)
• 
  Open your heart and mind to someone’s opinion
• 
  Give up your spot in line to someone who has children, looks stressed, or has fewer items(or not)
• 
  Hold your tongue (takes concentration!)
• 
  Say a prayer for someone

15 minutes

• 
  Make a phone call to someone who could use a friend or maybe to that person whose name just popped into your head
• 
  Write some words of inspiration, or your testimony in a book to keep in the car and share when the need arises (Check out this website www.bookcrossing.com for a fun way to share books anonymously...it's great)
• 
  Call your mom or your dad or a sibling....they never hear from you enough and they miss you!
• 
  Read your scriptures then jot down some favorites on a bookmark and carry them with you to give away.
  
  
  30 minutes or more
• 
  Take a walk with someone
• 
  Spend some time really talking to ...your child, your spouse, your parents, a friend.
• 
  Bake something special and share it
• 
  Gather up all the carts in the parking lot and put them in the cart return (my daughters used to love this one
• 
  Cut some flowers from your garden and deliver them or repot a garden plant to share with someone.
• 
  Make a recording of your favorite music to brighten someone’s day
• 
  Sort through your pictures and find some you can share with someone....maybe you have pictures of them or their kids or their dog!
• 
  Pick up trash along the road, in your neighborhood, or at the park.
• 
  Do some geneology.
• 
  Invite someone to dinner!
  
  Well, that’s my list, as I said I kind of carry it around in my head so I’m sure I haven’t remembered everything and I know you have good ideas you could share with me....please do.......because it really is true

‘when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God’

I (we) Will Survive!!!

Last night was Family Home Evening at our house...probably most of yours too. It was HH’s turn. Over the years he has provided us with the most interesting FHE lessons. This is the format in which our children learned, among other things, to shoot a gun (just a .22, but a gun nonetheless), geocache, shoot a bow and arrow, rock climb, identify native trees and plants (if only for a few seconds), play the most exciting and innovative game of indoor hide and seek ever (hubby laying on the rafters above their heads as they hunted and hunted is a favorite memory, as was hiding "Nutella" in the laundry basket which was such a good hiding place that she smelled like dirty socks for hours), and many other things that have provided a unique perspective on life to three little girls who would never have the benefit of boy scout camp.

Last evening’s activity included learning to start a fire without matches. Daughter #3 and I were pretty sure (after watching a few episodes of Brat Camp, Endurance and Survivorman) that we could master this one. Let me tell you it is a LOT harder in our living room than they make it look on TV (and we thought it looked pretty hard there!). We started out with a bow and drill (Gosh I’m good with these terms!)and HH’s copy of "The Lost Lore of a Man’s Life: Lots of Cool Stuff Guys Used to Know but Forgot About the Great Outdoors"....this is a book you’ve got to see to believe, it’s author, as noted on the cover is "Denis Boyles with Gregg Stebben and a Whole Stack of Librarians".

The book is really just too funny. In a chapter entitled "To successfully Enjoy a Trip to the Woods" the authors give suggestions on "What to Read when Alone in the Woods Because you Are Perplexed by Life’s Vicissitudes"........

If you have been driven to the woods because you have been confused by women,
read ‘The Modern Man’s Guide to Modern Women’ available from our office.; If you
are in the woods because of a peculiar grooming problem (huh?) read the exhaustive entries on the subject in ‘A Man’s Life: The Complete Instructions". If you have found yourself in the woods with a woman and wish to find a means of relating to her feelings (Is that what he'd be thinking about?) Then read ‘The Modern Woman’s Guide to Life’ also available from our office.

In the Acknowledgments the author makes this statement:

"In a book full of so much information, almost all of which has been gleaned
from other sources, I’m pleased to say that I think I have been successful in
weeding out errors and correcting mistakes. Where misinformation remains
however, I’m even more pleased to say the fault lies with the original authors;
I didn’t know about it, but if I had known about it, I wouldn’t have permitted
it. And above all, I had nothing personally to do with it".

Anyway if you’re looking for some fun reading for the guy in your life I highly recommend the above.

Back to the fire building. We timed HH as he demonstrated the proper making of, and use for, a bow and drill. It was HARD work and although we succeeded in getting a lot of smoke and drilling completely through a 1" cedar board .... twice, we wore out after 40 minutes and before achieving fire by this method. We moved on to something more to my liking.....flint and steel.

Making a little pile of dry wood and using the flint I was able to actually start a little fire in just 15 minutes or so....it took Daughter #3 a little longer but as we were interrupted by a phone call which HH had to take I helped her out (cheated actually) with a serious amount of dryer lint ..... this worked (Yay Girls Camp!).... in fact it worked so well that the little nest of tinder in her hands burst into full out flames.....she shrieked and threw the whole thing several feet in the air ,

and luckily in the general direction of the fireplace, successfully avoiding setting the house afire while HH was on the phone (and I was "in charge"). After discussing the evening’s lesson the conclusion she presented to her dad was "Lint is better than Flint........in my opinion".

It was a good time....and we learned a lot. Daughter #3 and I will never again simply throw away the lint in our pockets (or belly buttons), and should we ever find ourselves lost and alone in the woods we’ll rely on "The Modern Women’s Guide to the Outdoors: Survival techniques for the hopelessly inept"

The life ...of a blogger

Writing a daily blog is intimidating, I have new respect for all the Dave Barry’s, Erma Bombeck’s, Ciao Bella's and yes....Daring Young Mom’s who, notwithstanding their current frame of mind, sit down to write a daily column designed to entertain, educate and enlighten the rest of us.

Whereas I picture they eagerly greet each day with a plethora (my word for the day) of exciting ideas, I find my mind is constantly sorting through the days events making neat little piles labeled “Funny Happenings that I can Write About”, “Happy Thoughts I’d like to write about”, “Things too mundane to write about”, “Things that I would love to, but wouldn’t dare, write about”, etc. Basically my mind is now nothing short of a bunch of piles …. It’s making life difficult and it’s getting scary in here!

This morning I was going to write about aprons…no kidding!…..go look at these they’re darling!…. http://www.jessiesteele.com/pages/catalog.html, but writing about aprons is hardly a topic with limitless possibilities if you know what I mean….besides the only reason they’re even important to me is because I’ve been looking for a cute, maybe even sexy, apron since my picture was in the paper wearing this one…….

(it was a door prize at a Tree Farmer’s convention…. I had to turn it inside out so the logo wouldn’t be visible!)….

HH reminded me not to write about him (he says since the decorating story he’s been trying to think of where to store the model airplane)….. So I’m left with the cat (limited possibilities here since 23 hours of her day are spent sleeping), and my 13 year old daughter who will let me write about her only until she finds out about this blog then that’ll be over too!…..My own interests run a bit toward the bland (my latest favorite recipe, whatever book I’m currently reading, and the occasional craft I’m trying valiantly to master without losing interest and giving it up entirely).

I considered writing about my most embarrassing moments which include but are not limited to….

The time I went dancing with my husband and caught (out of the corner of my eye) a glimpse of something …..chasing?….following?….my foot around the floor ….. soon others began to whisper and stare, there was nothing I could do but stop dancing and investigate further, only to find that a pair of panty hose (which had somehow become attached to the inside of my pants …perhaps in the laundry?….) were slowly snaking their way down one leg and out…out…out (at least 3 feet out) trailing along behind me as I danced my beautiful self across the “very crowded” room…..okay, THAT was embarrassing!

The cold winter morning as I waved to my neighbor while scraping the windows of my car only to receive in return a very cold shoulder….actually, he turned and walked back into his house,….I discovered several minutes later as I walked into my own warm house and noticed a distinct temperature change that the back of my skirt was tucked into my pantyhose leaving my entire backside exposed to well….the neighborhood…..it’s okay, humility never hurt anyone (I’m sad to say my neighbor and I were never again able to converse after that)

And, there’s always my children’s favorite,….shopping at the Minneapolis Airport, (they have wonderful stores there) I spotted some beautiful jewelry on a glass shelf at the front of the shop…..I leaned forward to get a better look only to find the jewelry was displayed behind the window …. (The one time in my life when my eagerness to shop really really hurt!)….the force of the blow sent me reeling and I literally saw stars! The girls were laughing so hard that a crowd began to gather and I was left with absolutely no dignity at all.

As I said, I could write about that but it would just be too embarrassing! So today I’m simply going to say I am not one of those people who thought Brokeback Mountain was a movie I'd even CONSIDER going to, let alone award an Oscar to (are you listening Hollywood!) and leave you with one of my favorite quotes....

"They said, 'Cheer up - things could be worse.' So I cheered up...and sure enough, things got worse."

Life in the Midwest....

I moved to the midwest from the "real west"....... Wyoming. The view from my window changed from wide open spaces, sagebrush and mountains to the exact opposite. In the state where I live there is quite a bit of open farm ground but it is usually bordered by deciduous forests making it hard to see very far in any one direction. This gave me a slight amount of claustrophobia in the beginning, but I have become accustomed to it and now love it as much for it’s own kind of beauty as I loved Wyoming when I lived there.

People ask me "Don’t you miss the mountains?" Yes, I miss the mountains but I don’t miss the winters that lasted for 9 months of the year, nor do I miss that instantaneous transition from summer to winter with no distinctive fall. Fall in the Midwest is just....well spectacular! The air gets cool, but just for a couple of hours in the evening and a couple of hours in the early morning. For at least three glorious months we enjoy 70-75 degree days and cool nights....perfect for sleeping or having a fire in the fireplace. The color of the world becomes gold and red , burgundy and purple, and you find yourself thanking God every day for letting you live in a world so truly beautiful.



Winter comes on slowly, days get gradually shorter, and sometime after Thanksgiving we get our first dusting of snow. We rarely get feet of snow here, it’s measured in inches and will come and go all winter long giving us brief warm sunny days when there’s no snow and you can remember what warm weather feels like.

When my HH brought me here for the first time to meet his parents I left Wyoming on a cold day in December, it had been cold for weeks...I mean below zero cold, never warming above 5 or 10 degrees during the day and dropping into the 20 below range at night. The morning we left for the airport I went out to start my car and when I touched the steering wheel it literally shattered ..... the vinyl covering was so brittle that it cracked all over changing from a smooth surface to one slightly resembling an alligator purse. Just a few hours later we landed here, got off the plane on a December day and the temperature was 65! I was in heaven and HH had me hooked..

Spring is sweet smelling and crisp, the flowers start to peek out of the ground just about now...early in March we see the first signs of life above the ground,

the snowdrops have already bloomed (in February) and the forest begins to get it’s carpet of trout lilies and jack-in-the-pulpits. The sap flows in the maple trees and we start making maple syrup, the buckeye buds start swelling on the branches, they will be early to leaf. Spring skies are the best of the blues we get here, the summer heat and humidity doesn’t obscure it’s clearness yet and a sunny day is truly a happy sight.

Even Summer with it’s temperatures high and moist are a joy for me, the landscape becomes absolutely lush with green, lawns here are measured in acres and mowing just about has to be done on a riding mower unless you really want to spend all summer doing it. Yards here are full of flowers, flowering bushes, and all kinds of color....the weather makes it easy. Gardens grow well and the hardest part is keeping the deer, raccoons, rabbits and squirrels from getting everything before you do. I sometimes have the feeling I’ve been transported into Mr. MacGregor’s garden.....the fauna abounds!

Before I moved here I thought the midwest meant Nebraska and the Dakota’s....I really never knew what the Midwest was, where it was, or why anyone would ever want to live there. When I go home to Wyoming to visit people are astounded that I still live out here. The culture is different to be sure, the people more urban, the cities more sprawling, but there is beauty everywhere and I’m glad I’ve been able to see and understand that there is life outside the Rocky Mountains where I was born and raised.

When I get a little homesick I remember how thankful I am to live here, in my little log cabin in the woods....I think of the early settlers to our part of the world and how they painstakingly drained the swamps and cranberry bogs, cultivated the fields and tended the forests and made something productive out of a big wet part of the country. The "pioneers" to our part of the world were as happy here as those who traveled further west....life is truly what you make it and evidence of a kind and loving Heavenly Father is everywhere if we choose to look and see.

I’m so thankful today, and every day, for the beauty of God’s creation, it lifts my spirits, enlivens my senses and gives me joy. I hope you all see the beauty in your life today.

Seven Sevens...

Today I'm taking the easy way out and doing the Seven Sevens list I found at Grammy Rules and Ciao Bella....but before I do I have to give you this little link......if you are a cat lover or even a cat liker who has to tolerate one in your home you'll LOVE THIS .... my dad sent it to me and I had a great laugh to start my day.

Seven things I want to do before I die:
1. Have grandkids, spoil them, love them and spend time with them.
2. Learn to accept and be at peace with myself.
3. Learn to quilt.
4. Travel to Europe (maybe Nutella and JD will let me come to Italy with them sometime).
5. Go on a mission with my husband.
6. Discover a talent I don't know I have.
7. Catch the spirit of Elijah.

Seven Things I cannot do:
1. Live without my children or my husband (or stop missing them when they’re gone).
2. Live life without Heavenly Father’s guidance.
3. Deny my faith.
4. Live in a messy house (my own little neurosis showing up I know)
5. Say "No" when I think it will hurt someone’s feelings.
6. Go even one week without talking to my daughters (whether or not I have anything to say).
7. Leave the house without makeup (I know I'm so superficial!)

Seven Things that attract me to my Spouse:
1. His intelligence.
2. His devotion to his family.
3. His generosity.
4. His smile.
5. His ability to do ... anything he puts his mind to!
6. The effort he makes to make me feel special.
7. His testimony of the gospel.

Seven things I say often:
1. You know....(I hate that one I’ve gotta quit it!)
2. Love ya!
3. I’m gonna go take a nap.
4. Let’s go shopping!
5. I don't know
6. If it were me, I’d....
7. That's so annoying.

Seven Books or Book Series I love:
1. Follow the River - James Alexander Thom
2. The Book of Mormon
3. Pope Joan - Donna Woodfolk Cross
4. Harry Potter, all of them.
5. Mary Ellen Edmunds (love her humor)
6. Sheri Dew
7. Life of Pi

Seven Movies I could watch over and over:
1. The Postman (Clean-films)
2. White Christmas
3. Holiday Inn
4. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Clean-films)
5. African Queen (don’t ask me why.....)
6. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
7. Cold Mountain (clean films...I've only seen it once but I loved it)

Seven People who’s Sevens I’d like to hear (now, and again 20 years from now):

1. My Husband
2. My daughters
3. My Mom
4. My Dad
5. My Sister
6. My Other Sister
7. The rest of you!

Forgive me for I have sinned......

Okay so I’m not Catholic and I’ve never been to confession....too many movies on TV and that’s the thought that randomly popped into my head when I threw out a perfectly good frying pan today.

It all stems from a big long involved story on NPR about the dangers of frying (and even worse burning food) in a teflon coated pan.....did anyone else hear it? I just hate it when I hear some story that completely scares me into doing random and perhaps nonsensical things, but it sounded so convincing!

Anyway, after hearing the story I determined I was going to replace, as I often as I could afford it, and piece by piece, all my teflon coated cookware. Therein lies a huge moral dilemma for me. Do I give the teflon stuff to Goodwill and risk giving some poor innocent non-NPR listener cancer? Would it be better to throw it out ...and risk polluting the landfill and possibly the whole community’s water supply? What do you do with a potentially harmful substance? Should I mail it back to DuPont and tell them I have no idea how to dispose of it? (Perhaps they’d feel sorry for me and send me a coupon....but it would probably be for new Teflon coated cookware!)
We watched Pollyanna a couple of weeks ago and it reminded us of the "glad" game, you know seeing the silver (or in this case stainless steel) lining in every sad situation....well my stainless steel lining is that I have shiny new pots! I bought this beauty at TJ Maxx, my favorite store for cooking stuff.


I LOVE to cook, I was even in a magazine once! Really! ....Taste of Home! What did I get for my fabulous cooking? $75! That’s right! I know, I know you’re all so jealous and wondering what I did with the money....well first I paid my tithing, then I used it to improve the lives of all my living relatives (remember that you all when you come into some big money.....I shared with you!).

It was actually very strange how I ended up in that magazine. It all started way back in about 1993.....it was a slow, very slow, day at the office (a government agency which shall remain nameless) and "we girls" were reading Taste of Home magazine on our break. In the magazine was a request for readers to submit their ideas for full meals requiring 30 minutes or less from prep to table. Well of course we were all sure we could think up something and after all if you got in the magazine you got SEVENTY-FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS! We each sent in our menu....mine was Lemon Herb Baked Chicken, Pasta Salad and Indiana Brownies (I know it’s astounding how truly exotic THAT menu sounds). Anyway, that’s the last I thought of it until a sunny afternoon in August of 2002!!!! (Big files they have huh?) They called me on the phone (I wasn’t even living in the same city, nor did I have the same phone number but somehow they found me anyway.....that’s really creepy!)interviewed me, had me submit some pictures and Voila! Instantly Famous!

You wanna know what else I got for my fantabulous cooking? About a month after the magazine with my recipes and pictures came out I got..........a stalker....my very own stalker! Yup, some guy who saw my picture and read the bio in the magazine found out where I lived (from the clues in the article and some sleuthing on the Internet) and started calling me. At first he pretended he was a chef and wanted to use my recipes (right, like they were so great, but hey, I fell for it!), the next time he called me he disguised his voice and said he was a reporter with a news station in Texas and wanted to "interview" me, after that I got LOTS of phone calls from him...once he pretended to be a retarded guy living with his mother ....he said "I have stuff in my fridge and I want to cook something if I tell you what’s in there will you tell me what I can make"...No kidding! It was really scary......I was afraid he’d say I’ve got pickles, and ummm lettuce, and some ketchup and then there’s this arm from the lady I murdered next door!!!AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!! We finally traced the calls to a guy in Texas and the sheriff in his county paid him a visit ....that was the end of my stalker.....I can laugh about it now but it scared the pants off me I can tell you.

Ah well now I know I really don’t want to live the life of the rich and famous, even the not-so-rich and famous. Gotta go cook something in my new pan...have a great day!